Retired Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood appointed first head of Makkah Defence Alliance secretariat

On Wednesday, the Foreign Office declared retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood as the initial secretary general of the Makkah Defence Alliance, a collaboration between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye. The announcement came with the handout, which referred to the alliance's original name, the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.

The secretary general's role includes leading the general secretariat of the alliance, which is being established in Riyadh. This agreement, signed on August 7, entitles member states to regard an attack on one as an attack on all, and its inaugural meeting took place on August 31 in Istanbul. The meeting aimed to set up the alliance's institutional structure, with Pakistan chosen to head the secretariat in Riyadh, a position Mahmood will hold for the next three years.

The alliance's members agreed to bolster their cooperation, ensuring solidarity, credibility, and effectiveness in collective defense and regional cooperative security. Although there has been discussion about the alliance's potential expansion, with Turkey expressing interest in Egypt's inclusion, Cairo has not confirmed any such move.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar affirmed the pact's defensive nature, stating that it is also open to any regional country willing to adhere to its principles. However, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan clarified that expansion discussions would wait until the alliance's structure is solidified to include states with similar threat perceptions and requirements.

Meanwhile, the alliance's intentions remain focused on collective deterrence, with General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry dismissing any "regional aspirations." As the US-Iran conflict escalates, with Yemen's Houthi rebels targeting Saudi Arabia, Pakistani commitment to Saudi Arabia's security is described as "unconditional."