Pakistan denies New York Times report on PAF deployment against Houthis
- The Information Ministry rejected claims that Pakistani fighter aircraft were used against Houthi targets.
- It urged international media to avoid speculation about military deployments under the Makkah defence pact.
- Pakistan maintains that the agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye is defensive and not directed against any country.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has rejected a New York Times report alleging that the Pakistan Air Force was deployed against the Houthis, describing the claim as false and fabricated.
𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 | 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 ▪️ NYT above referred story attributing employment of PAF aircraft against Houthis is fake and fabricated. International Media houses are again asked to avoid speculative reporting with regards to employment of Pakistan’s Military Forces under Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. ▪️ Details of any employment, if necessary will be given by concerned authorities. 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝
— Fact Checker MoIB (@FactCheckerMoIB) October 8, 2026
In a fact-check, the ministry said Pakistani fighter aircraft had not been deployed against Houthi targets and that the report had no factual basis.
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The denial comes amid international attention on Pakistan’s role under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Pakistan has described the pact as a defensive arrangement intended to strengthen collective security and deterrence.
The ministry urged international media outlets to refrain from speculation about the possible deployment of Pakistani forces, particularly claims concerning military operations or the use of specific capabilities.
It said that if a deployment became necessary, the relevant authorities would release the details themselves.
Pakistan has maintained that the Makkah agreement is not directed against any country. The pact provides for collective defence if any of its three members faces an armed attack.
A day earlier, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told CNN that Pakistani military personnel had been stationed in Saudi Arabia for decades. He said they served across different military domains and possessed a range of capabilities.
Discussing the Makkah alliance, the military spokesperson said it built on longstanding relations rather than emerging in isolation. He pointed to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye’s established diplomatic, political and military ties, as well as close relations between their peoples.
