By PK-News.com | September 23, 2026

Pakistan has selected a senior retired military officer to lead the emerging institutional structure of the Makkah Defence Alliance, marking another step in the development of the new security arrangement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.

The Pakistani Foreign Office announced on September 23 that Lieutenant General (retd) Nauman Mahmood, who holds the Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military), has been appointed the alliance's first Secretary General.

His immediate workplace will be Riyadh, where the General Secretariat of the alliance is being established. The position gives Mahmood responsibility for helping build an organization that is still in its formative stages.

A New Role at a New Institution

The Makkah Defence Alliance emerged from the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on August 7, 2026.

The agreement provides for the three countries to treat an armed attack against one member as an attack against all three, creating a framework for collective defence and deterrence. The countries subsequently met in Istanbul on August 31 to begin establishing the alliance's institutional arrangements.

Pakistan was selected to head the new secretariat, which will operate from Riyadh, and the first Secretary General is expected to serve for an initial three-year period.

Mahmood's appointment therefore comes at a particularly important stage: the alliance has been politically established, but many of its administrative and operational mechanisms still need to be developed.

Who Is Nauman Mahmood?

Nauman Mahmood's military career spans more than three decades.

He was commissioned into the Pakistan Army in September 1987 and belongs to the Baloch Regiment. His professional education included studies at the Command and Staff College in Quetta, a command and staff institution in Egypt and the National Defence University in Islamabad. He also holds a master's degree in War Studies.

His career included both operational command and assignments focused on strategic analysis and military education.

That combination is relevant to his new position because the Secretary General will have to coordinate among three countries with different military structures, strategic priorities and regional responsibilities.

Experience in Military Education

A significant part of Mahmood's career was spent at the Command and Staff College in Quetta.

He served in several instructional positions and eventually became Chief Instructor. Such assignments involve training military officers in areas including operational planning, strategy and professional military studies.

His experience in military education also brought him into contact with broader questions concerning defence planning and strategic decision-making.

This background is different from a purely field-command career and provides experience in translating military concepts into structured planning and institutional processes.

Command Experience in Pakistan's Northwest

Mahmood also held important operational commands.

As a major general, he commanded an infantry division in North Waziristan, an area that had been at the centre of Pakistan's counterterrorism campaign.

His later appointment as commander of XI Corps in Peshawar placed him in charge of a major military formation during a period of considerable regional uncertainty.

His time as corps commander coincided with the final phase of the US military presence in Afghanistan, the withdrawal process and continuing security challenges along Pakistan's western frontier.

The role involved dealing with a strategically sensitive border environment where developments in Afghanistan could directly affect Pakistan's security calculations.

From Military Command to Intelligence Analysis

Another important stage in Mahmood's career came when he moved into the intelligence field.

He served as Director General of the Analysis Directorate at Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The position involved assessing developments outside Pakistan from a national-security perspective. According to published profiles, the assignment also involved interaction with foreign intelligence organizations through external liaison.

This experience is notable because the new Makkah alliance will require governments to assess regional security developments and coordinate their responses.

The Secretary General's role is not equivalent to commanding the armed forces of the three countries. Instead, it is primarily connected with coordinating the alliance's institutional work and helping turn the agreement's political commitments into functioning mechanisms.

Promotion to Lieutenant General

Mahmood was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in April 2019.

Following his promotion, he served as Inspector General of the Communications and Information Technology Branch at Pakistan Army General Headquarters.

Later that year, in December 2019, he moved to Peshawar to take command of XI Corps.

His career consequently covered several different dimensions of national defence — from frontline command and military education to intelligence analysis and technology-related responsibilities.

National Defence University Presidency

After completing his tenure as XI Corps commander in November 2021, Mahmood was appointed President of the National Defence University (NDU) in Islamabad.

He became the institution's 35th head and remained in that position until his retirement from the Pakistan Army in April 2023.

The National Defence University plays a role in higher-level professional military education and strategic studies, making the position another part of Mahmood's background that is relevant to his new international assignment.

Why His Background Matters to the New Alliance

The Makkah Defence Alliance is still developing its institutional structure.

Its three members — Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye — have agreed to strengthen cooperation and collective deterrence, but the practical mechanisms for implementing that cooperation will require sustained coordination.

Mahmood's background gives him experience across several areas that could be relevant to that process.

His career includes:

Military command in sensitive operational areas
Strategic and intelligence analysis
Professional military education
International security-related engagement
Senior headquarters responsibilities
Leadership of the National Defence University

His appointment therefore places an experienced retired Pakistani military officer at the centre of the alliance's initial administrative development.

What Will the Secretary General Actually Do?

The Secretary General will lead the General Secretariat in Riyadh.

The secretariat is intended to provide an institutional mechanism through which the three member states can coordinate their work under the defence agreement.

The initial task is therefore likely to involve organizational development, coordination among member governments and establishing procedures for cooperation.

The three countries have said they intend to further institutionalize their cooperation in ways designed to strengthen solidarity and the credibility of collective deterrence and defence.

This means Mahmood's first period in office could be focused heavily on building the machinery of the alliance rather than immediately overseeing a fully developed military organization.

Will Other Countries Join?

Since the agreement was signed, there has been discussion about the possibility of the alliance eventually expanding.

Türkiye had previously raised the possibility of Egypt becoming involved, although there has been no confirmation from Cairo.

Pakistan's Foreign Office has also indicated that expansion was not immediately under consideration while the three founding members concentrate on establishing the new organization.

That suggests the initial priority remains the consolidation of the Pakistan-Saudi-Türkiye framework.

A Significant Assignment for Pakistan

The appointment gives Pakistan a prominent institutional role within the new alliance.

While Saudi Arabia hosts the secretariat in Riyadh, Pakistan will initially provide the Secretary General for the first three-year term.

For Islamabad, this creates an opportunity to participate directly in shaping the procedures and coordination mechanisms of the emerging defence framework.

For Mahmood personally, the appointment represents a transition from national military service to an international security role.

What Comes Next?

The next stage will be closely watched as the three countries move from signing an agreement toward building permanent institutional arrangements.

Questions surrounding the alliance's future structure, defence coordination, decision-making processes and possible expansion are likely to become clearer as the secretariat begins its work.

Mahmood's immediate challenge will be helping establish the organization itself and creating channels through which Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye can coordinate effectively.

His appointment does not by itself define how the alliance will respond to every future regional crisis. Those questions will depend on decisions by the three governments and the mechanisms they establish under the agreement.

For now, the appointment marks a new phase: the Makkah Defence Alliance is moving from a signed political and defence agreement toward the construction of a functioning institution.

PK-News.com Perspective

Research conducted by PK-News.com shows that Nauman Mahmood's career combines operational command, intelligence analysis, strategic education and senior military leadership.

Those experiences are now being brought into an international framework involving three regional powers.

The effectiveness and long-term role of the Makkah Defence Alliance will become clearer as its Riyadh-based secretariat develops, but the appointment of its first Secretary General is an important institutional milestone in that process.

PK-News.com will continue tracking developments surrounding the Makkah Defence Alliance, Pakistan-Saudi relations, Türkiye's regional security role and the emerging structure of the new defence arrangement.