Pakistan alleged that the Indian speakers withdrew shortly before the event, giving Islamabad an uncontested “walkover.” However, Indian senior advocate J Sai Deepak rejected the claim as “entirely false,” stating that it was the Pakistani team that pulled out just hours before the debate. Deepak also released emails and call logs to support his statement, asserting that the Indian delegation was fully prepared.
The Oxford Union, the world’s oldest and most prominent student debating society, has not yet issued an official clarification.
About the Planned Debate
The debate, hosted at the historic Oxford Union, was titled:
“India’s Policy Towards Pakistan is a Populist Strategy Sold as Security Policy.”
The event was organised by OU President Musa Harraj, the fourth Pakistani to hold the post. Harraj is the son of Pakistani politician Mohammad Raza Hayat Harraj.
Who Was Scheduled to Speak
India:
• Gen. M.M. Naravane (Retd.)
• Dr. Subramanian Swamy
• Sachin Pilot
Pakistan:
• Lt Gen. Zubair Mahmood Hayat (Retd.)
• Hina Rabbani Khar
• Dr. Mohammad Faisal
Deepak, coordinating on India's behalf, was informed two days before the event that Naravane and Swamy had withdrawn due to health issues. He promptly arranged replacements, including Suhel Seth and MP Priyanka Chaturvedi. However, the Union later told him they wouldn’t join due to short notice.
Chaturvedi also stated she had initially been contacted months earlier, but the organisers only followed up at the last moment—something she called “unprofessional.”
Deepak then flew to the UK and secured two UK-based Indian-origin speakers—Manu Khajuria and Pandit Satish Sharma—to complete the panel.
Last-Minute Cancellation
Deepak said that just three hours before the pre-debate dinner, Harraj informed him that the debate was cancelled because the Pakistani speaker had not reached the UK. According to him, the Pakistani delegation was at the hotel but left before the event.
Pakistan Claims Victory; India Counters With Evidence
The Pakistani High Commission in London claimed on X that India withdrew “at the eleventh hour,” resulting in Pakistan’s victory.
They also alleged that India later suggested a “low-profile” replacement speaker who did not match the stature of Pakistan’s delegation.
SAI Deepak dismissed these allegations, calling Pakistan's claims “fabricated.” He challenged them to prove their charges or return to Oxford for a public debate. He made his call logs and email correspondence public to demonstrate that India had not backed out.
Pakistan has not provided any evidence to support its accusations.
