ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting rejected on Thursday a New York Times claim of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) strikes on Houthis in Yemen.
The ministry called the story “fake and fabricated”. The NY Times reported that the source was an anonymous senior military official.
The newly formed Makkah Accord (also referred to as the Mecca Alliance) is a trilateral mutual defence treaty signed on August 7, 2026, by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey.
The pact includes NATO-style collective defence provisions, establishing a framework in which an attack on one member country is considered an attack on all.
It urged international media organisations to avoid speculation about Pakistani military operations under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. Instead, relevant authorities would provide details of any military employment, if necessary.
Separately, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry spoke to CNN on Wednesday. He said Pakistani troops were already in Saudi Arabia across several roles and capabilities.
According to Chaudhry, Pakistan’s military presence in the kingdom dates back decades. When asked about personnel serving under the Makkah alliance, he pointed to longstanding ties between the countries.
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He also described diplomatic, political, military and people-to-people links between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
Pakistan’s information ministry rejected a New York Times claim that Pakistani aircraft were being used against the Houthis.
