Pakistan denies NYT report on PAF jets targeting Houthis

Pakistan on Thursday rejected a New York Times report claiming that PAF fighter jets were being used in strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.

The New York Times quoted a senior Pakistani military official, on the condition of anonymity, as telling the American newspaper that PAF jets were being used against the Yemeni rebel group.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in a fact-check statement, rejected the claim of New York Times as baseless. 

"International media houses are again asked to avoid speculative reporting with regard to the employment of Pakistan's military forces under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement," the ministry's fact-checker said in a statement.

Tweet by Fact Checker MoIB

Earlier, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting rejected a Reuters report claiming that Pakistan had deployed between 30,000 and 40,000 troops to Saudi Arabia to help defend the kingdom.

In a fact-check post, the ministry said it has taken note of “speculative reports by Reuters” regarding the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. “Pakistan has already made Pakistan’s commitment to security of Haramain Sharifain and KSA abundantly clear, which is non-negotiable,” it said.