World · India Bureau
Son of 1971 war casualty named head of Makkah Pact alliance
Retired Lieutenant General Nouman Mahmud, whose father died fighting Indian forces during the 1971 Bangladesh War, has been appointed the first Secretary General of the Makkah Defence Pact, a security alliance between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
LSN India ·
Nouman Mahmud, a retired three-star general, takes the helm of the newly formed trilateral defence agreement more than five decades after his father, Lieutenant Colonel Raja Sultan Mahmud, was killed in combat during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. The Makkah Defence Pact, officially launched this year, aims to strengthen military and strategic cooperation among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in the Middle East and South Asian regions. The appointment carries significant symbolic weight in Pakistan, linking a new generation's leadership to the nation's military heritage. Mahmud's extensive military background qualifies him to lead the alliance, which represents a strategic realignment among three major Muslim-majority nations. The pact is expected to address shared security concerns and enhance defence capabilities through joint exercises, intelligence sharing and coordinated military planning among the three member states.