Retired General Nauman Mahmood Appointed MJDA Secretary-General
Retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood will head the Riyadh-based General Secretariat established under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan on Wednesday announced the appointment of retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood, Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military), as the first Secretary-General under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA), placing a Pakistani former senior military officer at the head of the alliance’s General Secretariat.
According to an announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 23, Mahmood will lead the General Secretariat of the alliance, which is being established in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The appointment follows the establishment of the Makkah Joint Defence framework involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Earlier official statements described the agreement as a mechanism aimed at strengthening defence cooperation and collective security among the participating countries.
First Secretary General to Serve Three-Year Term
The National Assembly Secretariat previously said that the Strategic Political and Defence Committee established under the agreement had decided that the first Secretary General would come from Pakistan for a three-year term.
The latest announcement confirms Lieutenant General (Retd) Nauman Mahmood as the official selected for the position. As Secretary General, he will lead the Riyadh-based secretariat responsible for supporting the institutional functioning of the alliance.
The appointment marks another institutional step in implementing the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement following its signing by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in August 2026. Official Pakistani statements have described the agreement as focused on mutual defence cooperation, regional security and stability.
