Pakistani Gen named first Secy-Gen of Mecca Defence Pact

Pakistan has appointed retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood as the first secretary-general of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.

The appointment was announced by Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Wednesday (September 23). Mahmood will head the alliance’s General Secretariat, which is being established in Riyadh. 

The three countries signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an armed attack against any one of the members is to be regarded as an attack against all. The agreement aims to strengthen collective defence and security cooperation among the three countries. 

The appointment comes as the pact moves toward institutionalising its operations, with the three countries having agreed to establish a permanent secretariat in Riyadh. The first secretary-general is to be from Pakistan for an initial three-year term.

-AAH