Oxford Union India-Pakistan debate cancelled amid mutual accusations; both sides blame each other for backing out
PTC Web Desk: The much-anticipated debate between Indian and Pakistani speakers at the Oxford Union, scheduled for November 27, was cancelled after both sides accused each other of withdrawing at the last minute. The debate was expected to feature prominent speakers from both countries, but last-minute chaos, no-shows and communication gaps led to its abrupt cancellation.
The controversy began when the Pakistan High Commission claimed that the Indian speakers backed out hours before the event, giving Pakistan a “walkover”. However, India’s senior advocate J Sai Deepak, who was coordinating with the Oxford Union, dismissed Pakistan’s claims as false and presented call logs and email exchanges to show that the Pakistani team itself failed to appear.
The Oxford Union (OU), one of the world’s oldest student debating societies founded in 1823, had organised the event titled “India’s Policy Towards Pakistan is a Populist Strategy Sold as Security Policy.”
The topic suggested that India’s policies on Pakistan are framed to appeal to public sentiment while being presented as security measures. The debate was organised by OU President Moosa Harraj, the fourth Pakistani to hold this position. OU operates independently from Oxford University, though its members are university students.
Who was scheduled to speak?
From India, Former Army Chief General MM Naravane, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and Sachin Pilot. From Pakistan, Lt Gen (retd) Zubair Mahmood Hayat, former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar and former diplomat Dr Mohammad Faisal Advocate J Sai Deepak was handling communication between the Indian team and the Oxford Union.
Last-minute changes and confusion
Two days before the debate, the Oxford Union informed Deepak that General Naravane and Subramanian Swamy could not attend due to health issues and asked for alternative names. Before Deepak could suggest replacements, the Oxford Union contacted Suhel Seth and Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi.
However, on November 26, the Union informed that both Seth and Chaturvedi could not attend on short notice. Chaturvedi later publicly stated that although she had received an invitation in July, the organisers remained silent for months and contacted her again only on November 25, which she found unprofessional.
Faced with sudden dropouts, Sai Deepak himself travelled to the UK and arranged two UK-based Indian-origin speakers—Manu Khajuria and Pandit Satish Sharma—to complete the Indian panel.
Pakistan’s absence reported hours before debate
According to Deepak, just three hours before the pre-debate dinner, organiser Moosa Harraj informed him that the debate was cancelled because the Pakistani speakers had not arrived in the UK. Deepak said the Indian team was fully prepared, but Pakistan’s non-attendance forced the cancellation.
Pakistan claims victory; India hits back with evidence
The Pakistan High Commission posted on X claiming that India had backed out, and since no opposing panel remained, Pakistan had “won” the debate by default. They also alleged that India later proposed “low-profile” replacements, which did not match Pakistan’s speaker lineup.
Sai Deepak called these claims baseless, stating that the Pakistani delegation had been in the UK but “fled before the debate.” He also released call logs and emails showing India’s confirmed participation and Pakistan’s last-minute no-show.
The Pakistan High Commission, however, did not present any evidence to support its allegations.
Oxford Union has not yet issued an official statement on the dispute.
- With inputs from agencies
