Pakistani students at Oxford University secured a decisive victory over the Indian team during a high-profile debate at the Oxford Union, winning by a clear two-third majority despite a larger number of Indian members in the audience.
The debate centred on the motion, “India’s Pakistan policy is essentially a strategy to inflame public sentiment, presented as a security doctrine.”
Organizers said India had initially nominated senior figures including former Army Chief General N. C. Narayanan, politician Subramanian Swamy, and Congress leader Sachin Pilot. All later withdrew, prompting India to field a lower-tier panel comprising lawyer J. Sai Deepak, commentator Pandit Satish Sharma, and analyst Debarcan Banerjee.
Pakistan, in contrast, opted not to bring in high-profile officials and instead entrusted the stage to three Oxford-based Pakistani students—Moosa Hiraj, Israr Khan Kakar, and Ahmad Nawaz Khan.
Throughout the debate, the Pakistani speakers mounted a detailed challenge to the Indian narrative, grounding their arguments in law, data, and historical context. Their measured rebuttals drew strong reactions from the hall and ultimately shaped the final vote in Pakistan’s favour.
Observers described the result as evidence of the strength of Pakistan’s fact-based position in international academic settings. Analysts also noted that India’s withdrawal of senior speakers and the defeat of its replacement panel exposed weaknesses in its argumentative approach.
Experts said the outcome marks an encouraging moment for young Pakistanis, reflecting their ability to argue complex geopolitical issues confidently at one of the world’s most prestigious debating platforms.
