Retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood has been named the first secretary-general of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, commonly referred to as the Makkah Defence Alliance. Pakistan’s state broadcaster reported the appointment on September 23, 2026. The role is to lead the alliance’s general secretariat in Riyadh.
What is confirmed about the appointment?
The Government of Pakistan announced Mahmood’s appointment pursuant to the agreement on September 23. A later statement from Pakistan’s Press Information Department, dated October 13, also identified him as the agreement’s first secretary-general and said he would lead the secretariat being established in Riyadh.
The agreement was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in Makkah on August 7, according to the Pakistani government. The three-country arrangement has been referred to by several names in official statements, including the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and the Makkah Defence Alliance.
What is the ratification status?
Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications reported on October 28 that the Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee had approved the ratification bill and referred it to the General Assembly for consideration and a vote. Committee approval is not the same as final parliamentary ratification.
The Turkish Parliament’s bill tracker, viewed for this update, still lists the proposal’s status as “in committee.” The two official sources therefore do not show the same stage of the process. This article does not describe the agreement as fully ratified by Türkiye.
What happens next?
The Turkish Parliament’s General Assembly is expected to consider the bill, according to the Directorate of Communications. The tracker does not show a final vote. The reviewed sources also do not give a date for when the secretariat in Riyadh will begin full operations.
Sources: Radio Pakistan, September 23, 2026; Pakistan Press Information Department, October 13, 2026; Türkiye Directorate of Communications, October 28, 2026; Turkish Parliament bill tracker.
