ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has appointed Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood, Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military), retired, as the first Secretary General of the Makkah Joint Defence Alliance, with the General Secretariat of the alliance to be established in Riyadh.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the appointment on Wednesday, saying Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood would lead the General Secretariat of the alliance.
The appointment marks the establishment of the leadership structure of the General Secretariat pursuant to the Makkah Joint Defence Alliance.
The Secretariat will be based in Riyadh and will serve as the institutional framework for coordination under the agreement.
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Press Release
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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) September 23, 2026
On August 7, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the agreement to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, which stipulated that an armed attack against any of the three countries would be regarded as an attack on all.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the agreement.
On August 31, the three countries agreed that the first Secretary General of the Makkah Defence Alliance will be from Pakistan for a period of three years.
The decision was taken at the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee format established under the Makkah Defence Alliance. The meeting was held in Istanbul and was attended by the foreign and defence ministers and Chiefs of Defence Forces/Chiefs of General Staff of the three countries.
They agreed to further institutionalise their cooperation under the Makkah Defence Alliance, strengthen solidarity, enhance the credibility and effectiveness of their collective deterrence and defence, and contribute to efforts for a just, inclusive and lasting peace in the region.
Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif represented Pakistan at the high-level meeting.
In a joint statement, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye said they would work together within the framework of the Makkah Agreement to promote sustainable peace and stability in the region and continue supporting de-escalation and restraint to encourage the peaceful resolution of crises.
“Acting with a sense of regional ownership, the three countries reiterate their determination to work together within the framework of the Makkah Agreement to achieve sustainable peace and stability in their region. To that end, they will continue to support efforts towards de-escalation and restraint to encourage peaceful resolution of crises,” the joint statement read.
The three countries agreed to take steps to further institutionalise their cooperation within the Makkah Agreement in a manner that would enhance their solidarity, ensure the credibility and effectiveness of their collective deterrence and defence, and contribute to the regional efforts and cooperative security towards a just, inclusive and lasting peace, the joint statement added.
A Secretariat, headed by a Secretary General, will be established in Saudi Arabia to support their work within the framework of the Makkah Agreement, according to the joint statement.
The three countries agreed that through joint activities, they will also work to strengthen their defence capabilities and cohesion of their armed forces through robust defence industry cooperation, joint technology development and production.
“Through the institutionalised and resolute implementation of the Makkah Agreement, the three countries will provide essential contributions to regional peace and stability,” the joint statement concluded.
