Makkah Defence Alliance secretary-general to assume duties in Riyadh soon: FO

Makkah Defence Alliance secretary-general to assume duties in Riyadh soon: FO

The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday said that the secretary-general of the Makkah Defence Alliance, Lieutenant General (retd) Nauman Mahmood, is expected to assume his responsibilities in Riyadh soon. Mahmood was appointed as the first secretary general of the alliance between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Sep 23. Speaking at the FO’s weekly press briefing, the Spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan also touched upon the crisis in the Gulf, saying that Pakistan would continue its efforts to facilitate dialogue in the conflict involving Iran and the United States. He said Islamabad had brought the two parties under one roof despite their having remained out of contact for decades and supports a peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy, adding that Pakistan, Qatar and other countries were actively contributing to mediation efforts. Elaborating further, he said Israel had played the role of a spoiler in the conflict. Criticising Israel’s expansionist policies, he said peace in the region was not in Israel’s interest and that its expansionist ambitions were among the major causes of the current regional crisis. These ambitions were not limited to Iran, he said, adding that Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and other countries in the region were also affected by what Israel’s expansionist designs. When asked about the recent midterm elections in the US, the FO spokesperson said elections were an internal matter of that country and reiterated that Pakistan maintained close relations with Washington. Democrats seized control of the US Congress earlier this week, capturing the Senate and House of Representatives in a stunning, nationwide rejection of Donald Trump set to put the brakes on the final two years of his presidency. More to follow