Pakistan Appoints First Secretary-General for Mecca Defense Pact

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Pakistan has appointed retired Lieutenant General Numan Mahmood as the first Secretary-General of the Mecca Defense Pact. This trilateral agreement involves Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan announced that Mahmood will lead the general secretariat of this coalition, based in Riyadh. He previously served as the President of the National Defence University of Pakistan in Islamabad from November 2021 to April 2023. He joined the Pakistan Army in 1987 and retired in 2023.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the joint Mecca defense agreement in August. Reports indicate that this agreement was established with the aim of strengthening security, peace, stability, and prosperity, as well as enhancing the collective deterrence of the three countries. According to its provisions, an attack on any of the signatory countries will be considered an attack on all parties to the agreement.