Islamabad: (RightNow) Pakistan appoints Lt. Gen. (R) Nauman Mahmood as the first Secretary General under the Mecca Joint Defense Pact. He will lead the General Secretariat established in Riyadh.

According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, Gen. Nauman Mahmood will head the Secretariat of the Mecca Joint Defense Pact in Riyadh. The pact aims to enhance defense cooperation between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

Nauman Mahmood is a retired officer of the Pakistan Army, promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in April 2019. He has served as the Commander of Peshawar Corps and President of the National Defense University.

This pact holds significance in strengthening collective defense among the three countries. Under the agreement, an attack on one country will be considered an attack on all three, boosting military cooperation.

It is noteworthy that the Mecca Joint Defense Pact was signed on August 7, 2026. Its purpose is to strengthen defense cooperation and develop a joint defense strategy against external aggression.