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World

Lt Gen (retd) Nauman Mahmood appointed first secretary-general of Makkah defence alliance

Pakistan's Foreign Office announced on Wednesday that Lt Gen (retd) Nauman Mahmood will serve as the first secretary-general of the Makkah defence alliance, heading the general secretariat being established in Riyadh.

By Sarah Whitfield · · 1 min read

Pakistan has appointed retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood as the first secretary-general of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, the Foreign Office announced on Wednesday.

“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 Foreign Office said in a handout carried by Dawn. The statement was issued by FO spokesperson Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan, according to Sabah News.

Mahmood will lead the alliance’s general secretariat, which is being established in Riyadh.

The trilateral defence arrangement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye was renamed the Makkah Defence Alliance at the inaugural meeting of its Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Istanbul, where the three countries agreed that the secretariat would initially be headed by a secretary-general from Pakistan for a three-year term, Business Recorder reported.

The agreement, signed on 7 August, provides for collective defence: an armed attack against one of the three countries is considered an attack against all three, the Express Tribune reported.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said after the Istanbul meeting that the alliance was not directed against any particular country, according to the Express Tribune.

Sources

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