ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has appointed retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood as the first Secretary General of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.
According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, the government appointed Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood, who has been awarded Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military), under the terms of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
The newly appointed Secretary General will head the General Secretariat of the alliance, which is being established in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in Makkah on August 7, 2026. The agreement focuses on strengthening collective security, defence cooperation and regional stability among the three countries.
Under the agreement, an armed attack against any one of the three member states will be considered an attack against all three.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye had also agreed to establish a permanent secretariat in Saudi Arabia under the leadership of a Secretary General. As part of the arrangement, Pakistan will provide the first Secretary General for a three-year term.
The appointment comes at a time of heightened security concerns in the region and growing emphasis on cooperation among the three countries.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia’s security and strongly condemned recent Houthi attacks targeting the Kingdom.
In a message issued on the occasion of Saudi National Day on September 23, the prime minister said Pakistan stood shoulder to shoulder with Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its security and sovereignty.
Shehbaz Sharif also referred to a recent attempted drone attack near Makkah Al-Mukarramah. Saudi authorities said the drone was intercepted, while the Houthis denied targeting the holy city.
The prime minister said any threat to the sanctity and security of Haramain Sharifain deeply affects Muslims around the world.
He also congratulated King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Saudi people on Saudi National Day.
Shehbaz Sharif praised Saudi Arabia’s development and transformation, saying the Kingdom’s progress was a source of pride for both Saudi and Pakistani peoples.
The prime minister is currently in New York to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. The appointment of Pakistan’s first MJDA Secretary General marks a new institutional step in defence cooperation between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
