Lt Gen (retd) Nauman Mahmood picked as first head of Makkah defence alliance secretariat

The Foreign Office (FO) announced on Wednesday that Lieutenant General (retired) Nauman Mahmood as the first secretary general under the Makkah Defence Alliance between Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. “The government of Pakistan is pleased to announce the appointment of Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood, Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military), (retired), as the first secretary general pursuant to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement,” the FO said in a handout, referring to the alliance’s initial name. “The secretary general will lead the general secretariat of the alliance being established at Riyadh,” the FO said. The agreement — signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on August 7 — empowers member states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all. More to follow