Oxford Union Debate Cancelled Amid Conflicting Claims By India And Pakistan

A debate at the Oxford Union on the motion “India’s Policy Towards Pakistan is a Populist Strategy Sold as Security Policy” was cancelled after both India and Pakistan accused each other of pulling out. 

The Pakistan High Commission in London claimed on X that Indian speakers M.M. Naravane, Subramanian Swamy and Sachin Pilot had “withdrawn without any explanation,” calling it a walkover. Its delegation, Hina Rabbani Khar, Mohammad Faisal and Zubair Mahmood Hayat, had already landed in the UK. A Pakistani TV anchor described the situation as an “intellectual win,” alleging India tried to replace its original team with “lower-tier replacements.”

Indian advocate J Sai Deepak rejected this version as a “shameless and desperate spin.” He shared Oxford Union emails confirming his participation and said Suhel Seth and Priyanka Chaturvedi had been arranged as replacements after the earlier withdrawals. Chaturvedi stated that she had first been contacted in July but declined when approached again on November 25, criticising the Union’s “pathetic management.”

After those replacements also stepped away, Deepak assembled a new panel with Manu Khajuria and Pt. Satish K Sharma and flew to the UK. He said that three hours before the debate dinner, organiser Moosa Harraj called to say the event was cancelled because the Pakistani team had not arrived. Deepak released call logs to support his claim.

It was later confirmed that the Pakistani delegation was already in Oxford at a hotel. Deepak questioned why they were “hiding” and accused Harraj, son of Pakistan’s Defence Production Minister, of misleading participants. The Pakistan High Commission continued to insist India withdrew due to a “lack of confidence,” without offering proof. The Oxford Union has yet to issue a full public explanation for the cancellation.