Pakistan has appointed retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood as the first secretary general of the alliance established under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, as the three countries move to institutionalise their defence cooperation. 

Pakistan’s Foreign Office announced the appointment on Wednesday, saying Mahmood will lead the General Secretariat of the alliance being established in Riyadh.

The appointment follows the Aug. 7 signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. The agreement provides for collective defence cooperation, with an armed attack against one member treated as an attack against all three, according to official and Pakistani media reports. 

The three countries have since moved to establish an institutional structure for implementing the agreement. At a Strategic........

© Naya Daur