Pakistan appoints first Secretary General of Makkah Joint Defence Agreement

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has appointed Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood (retd), Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military), as the first Secretary General of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.

According to the Office of the Spokesperson, the Government of Pakistan has appointed Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood as Secretary General pursuant to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.

The Secretary General will lead the General Secretariat of the alliance, which is being established in Riyadh, the statement said.

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in Makkah on August 7, 2026. The agreement is aimed at strengthening collective security, defence cooperation and regional stability. It stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all three.

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The three countries agreed in August to establish a Secretariat in Saudi Arabia headed by a Secretary General, with Pakistan providing the first Secretary General for a three-year term.

The appointment comes amid heightened regional tensions.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s strongest condemnation of recent Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed that Pakistan stood unwaveringly, shoulder to shoulder, with the Kingdom in safeguarding its security.

In his message on Saudi National Day, observed annually on September 23, the prime minister said any threat to the sanctity and security of the Haramain Sharifain deeply wounds the sentiments of Muslims around the world.

He referred to the recent attempted drone attack near the holy city of Makkah Al-Mukarramah. Saudi authorities said the drone was intercepted, while the Houthis have denied targeting Makkah.

Extending his warmest felicitations to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the people of Saudi Arabia, Shehbaz said the Kingdom’s remarkable journey of progress and transformation was a source of pride and admiration for both the Saudi and Pakistani peoples.

The prime minister, who is currently in New York to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, said that under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia continued to make impressive strides towards greater prosperity, modernisation and innovation.