Asia-Pacific
Pakistan denies New York Times report on PAF fighter jets being used against the Houthis under the Mecca Agreement
Pakistan’s Information Ministry rejected as “fake and fabricated” a New York Times report, citing unnamed Pakistani officials, that Pakistan Air Force jets are providing air support against Houthi drones and missiles in Saudi Arabia. The denial does not rule out any deployment: Pakistani military personnel are confirmed to be in the kingdom.
Pakistan’s Information Ministry on Thursday, October 8, rejected as “fake and fabricated” a New York Times report that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter jets are being used against Yemen’s Houthis, according to Nukta. The American outlet, citing unnamed Pakistani officials, had written on October 7 that PAF aircraft are providing air support against Houthi drones and missiles, under the defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
In a post on X, the ministry shared a screenshot of the report and said: “International media houses are again asked to avoid speculative reporting with regards to employment of Pakistan’s military forces under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. Details of any deployment, if necessary, will be given by the authorities concerned.” Earlier this week it had also called “speculative” a Reuters report that 30,000 to 40,000 Pakistani troops are being sent to Saudi Arabia.
What Pakistani officials have said
The denial does not exclude every deployment. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan and Turkey have a “presence in theatre”, but that only Saudi forces are taking part in combat operations. The head of the military’s media wing ISPR, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, confirmed on Wednesday, October 7, that Pakistani military personnel are in Saudi Arabia, noting that they have been stationed there for decades.
The Mecca Agreement was signed on August 7 and provides that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. On Monday, October 5, the three countries held an extraordinary meeting in Riyadh and decided to move immediately to implementing their collective defence commitments. On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Turkey will not send troops to carry out attacks, describing the agreement as defensive.
The Houthi attacks
The report and the denial follow Houthi attacks on two Saudi airports, including Riyadh’s, which left three dead and 36 injured. The Houthis have also declared a naval blockade of Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea. Pakistan has not officially confirmed offensive PAF operations in Yemen.
