ISLAMABAD - The Government of Pakistan has announced the appointment of Lieutenant General (retired) Nauman Mahmood, Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military), as the first Secretary General of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA), the Foreign Office confirmed on Wednesday.

BREAKING 🇵🇰🇸🇦🇹🇷

THE FIRST-EVER SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE “MAKKAH DEFENCE ALLIANCE”

Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood (Retd.) has been appointed the first Secretary-General under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA).

Congratulations to entire Muslim world! pic.twitter.com/1eu2qfovXk

- Zard si Gana (@ZardSi) September 23, 2026

Leading the Alliance's Secretariat in Riyadh

Lt Gen (retd) Nauman Mahmood will lead the General Secretariat of the alliance, which is being established in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The appointment marks a significant step in institutionalising the trilateral defence framework between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye.

The decision follows the inaugural meeting of the alliance's Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Istanbul on August 31, where the three member states agreed that Pakistan would provide the first Secretary General for an initial three-year term.

A Seasoned Military Career

Lt Gen (retd) Nauman Mahmood brings decades of experience to the role:

• Commissioned into the Pakistan Army's Baloch Regiment in September 1987

• Promoted to Lieutenant General in April 2019

• Commander, Peshawar Corps (XI Corps) from December 2019 to November 2021

• President, National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad, from November 2021 to April 2023

• Director General, Analysis Directorate, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)

• General Officer Commanding, Infantry Division in North Waziristan

• Inspector General, Communication and Information Technology, GHQ Rawalpindi

He received professional military education from the Command and Staff College in Quetta, the Command and Staff College in Cairo, and the National Defence University in Islamabad. He is a recipient of the Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military).

A Historic Alliance

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed on August 7, 2026, in the holy city of Makkah by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Under the agreement, an armed attack against any one of the three countries is to be treated as an attack against all three. The pact is described as defensive in nature, aimed at strengthening collective deterrence and promoting regional peace and stability.