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

The Foreign Office confirmed on Wednesday that Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood, a retired military official, has been appointed as the inaugural secretary general of the Makkah Defence Alliance, a joint pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye. The FO announced that the secretary general will oversee the general secretariat, which is set to be based in Riyadh.

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed on August 7, stipulates that an attack on any member state shall be treated as an attack on all. During the alliance's inaugural meeting held on August 31 in Istanbul, Pakistan was selected to lead the secretariat in Riyadh, a position held by Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood for the next three years.

The three nations also pledged to reinforce their cooperation, bolster their collective deterrence and defence mechanisms, and contribute to regional cooperative security initiatives aimed at promoting a just, inclusive, and enduring peace. Discussions have already surfaced regarding potential expansion of the alliance, with Turkey hinting at the inclusion of Egypt.

However, Cairo has yet to confirm this development. Initially, both Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar affirmed that the agreement was defensive in nature and open to any regional country willing to adhere to its core principles. Nonetheless, when questioned about the possibility of the pact's expansion during a media briefing, a Foreign Office spokesperson stated that expanding the alliance was not yet a priority, as the countries needed to first consolidate the new organization before considering admitting additional states with comparable security concerns and requirements.

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations, further clarified that the alliance lacked regional aspirations and was solely focused on collective deterrence. He also emphasized Pakistan's unconditional commitment to safeguarding Saudi Arabia, particularly in light of the ongoing US-Iran conflict and Houthi attacks against the Saudi kingdom.