Fact Check: Indian account shares false claim of Pakistan Army heading to Yemen after Saudi defence pact

A video circulating on several Indian social media accounts has been shared with the false claim that Pakistani soldiers had landed in Dubai before being deployed to the Saudi–Yemen border. Some of these accounts even added unverified details about “huge salaries” supposedly being paid to the troops.

The misleading posts emerged soon after Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a new defence agreement that made headlines worldwide, strengthening the strategic partnership between the two long-time allies.

While the pact was widely welcomed in both countries, some Indian commentators and social media users quickly seized the opportunity to push baseless propaganda aimed at undermining the deal.

Viral claim on Indian social media

One of the most widely shared posts came from an account called Baba Banaras on X. It uploaded a grainy video showing Pakistani soldiers with their luggage at an airport, claiming:

“BREAKING: Pakistan is deploying 25,000 soldiers along the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border to fight against Houthis after the Saudi-Pak defence pact. Saudi Arabia will pay 3,500 Riyals per month to each Pakistani soldier and give Pakistan a USD 6 billion loan. Now it’s Saudi-Pak Vs Houthis.”

The clip quickly gained tractionm  drawing nearly 400,000 views, over 5,000 likes, and hundreds of reposts. Soon after, several other Indian handles, including @Theunk13 and @TheTathya, reshared the same video.

Read more: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia sign 'historic' mutual defence deal

Baba Banaras also circulated another misleading clip,  showing Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree speaking in Arabic with a photo of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hugging Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The post claimed Pakistani troops were already facing threats from Houthi fighters and warned of “graveyards” on the border.

Reality: Old UN mission footage

The video in question is old and unrelated to Yemen. It actually shows Pakistani troops at Karachi airport, not Dubai. The soldiers seen in blue berets are part of UN peacekeeping forces, who were on their way to a mission abroad. There is no evidence whatsoever that Pakistan has deployed soldiers to the Saudi–Yemen border under the new pact.

Clarification from Riyadh and Islamabad

Islamabad and Riyadh have repeatedly clarified that the defence deal is not directed against any third country. Instead, it is aimed at boosting security cooperation and strengthening their longstanding alliance.

A senior Saudi official told Reuters, “This is not a response to specific countries or events but an institutionalisation of our deep, long-standing cooperation.”

Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan also dismissed the rumors, stressing that relations between the two countries remain rooted in history, brotherhood, and defence collaboration dating back to the 1960s. He said the new agreement is meant to take ties “to new heights,” not to fuel conflict.

No official document on the agreement has been made public yet, but both governments have underlined that the pact is purely for mutual defence and deterrence, not aggression.

Meanwhile, India’s Foreign Office said it was “reviewing the implications” of the pact. However, Indian media outlets and some right-wing groups have already attempted to spin the development with misleading claims, apparently trying to sow discord among Muslim countries.