Pakistan Appoints Lt Gen (Retd) Nauman Mahmood as First Makkah Defence Alliance Chief
Pakistan has appointed retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood as the first Secretary General of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA), according to Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Nauman Mahmood will head the alliance's General Secretariat, which is being established in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan to Lead the New Secretariat
The appointment gives Pakistan the first Secretary General position under the new defence framework involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
The three countries signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in Makkah on August 7, 2026. The agreement focuses on defence cooperation and collective security among the three participating countries.
The General Secretariat in Riyadh will serve as the administrative and coordinating body for the agreement.
Who Is Nauman Mahmood?
Nauman Mahmood is a retired three-star Pakistan Army officer who has held several senior military positions during his career. He has also served as president of the National Defence University in Islamabad and has been awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military).
His appointment places him at the centre of the initial institutional development of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
What the Makkah Agreement Covers
The agreement was established by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye as a framework for defence cooperation.
According to reporting on the agreement, its provisions include cooperation in defence matters and a collective-security commitment under which an armed attack against one member is treated within the agreement's framework as an attack against all three.
The countries have also been working on establishing the organisational structure needed to coordinate the agreement.
Riyadh to Host the General Secretariat
The alliance's General Secretariat will be based in Riyadh. Nauman Mahmood will lead the secretariat as the first Secretary General as the three countries develop its administrative and coordination mechanisms.
The appointment represents an early step in putting the new agreement's institutional structure into operation.
Conclusion
Pakistan's appointment of Lt Gen (retd) Nauman Mahmood as the first Secretary General marks the beginning of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement's formal secretariat structure.
With the General Secretariat being established in Riyadh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are moving forward with the organisational framework created under their August 2026 agreement.