PTI shares video of student criticising Ahsan Iqbal at Oxford Union debate

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) official account on X shared a video of Federal Minister of Planning Ahsan Iqbal being introduced at an Oxford Union debate by a student as a member of a political party that "attacked liberal democracy in Pakistan."

The debate took place in February, where Iqbal participated as part of the opposition on the topic of liberal democracy. Despite the criticism, he presented his rebuttal and ultimately won the debate with 180 votes.

During his speech, he emphasised how liberal democracies perpetuate systemic inequalities that disadvantage Global South countries.

“I am not at all surprised to see Mr Ahsan Iqbal speaking on that side attacking liberal democracy. After all, Mr Iqbal’s party launched the greatest attack on liberal democracy in Pakistan’s history,” the student remarked.

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In the video, Ahsan Iqbal can be seen smiling at the student’s critical comments, whom he later described as a PTI supporter. He also claimed that the same student had previously launched a campaign advocating for Imran Khan to be appointed as Oxford University’s chancellor.

The student further alleged that the PML-N rigged the elections and managed to form a government despite winning only 17 out of 272 parliamentary seats.

While the video is being widely shared by PTI supporters, Ahsan Iqbal had already clarified his stance back in February when the debate originally took place.

“At Oxford Union Debate, the debate is opened by a student introducing the topic. My opposition opened the debate through a PTI supporter, who had lobbied for IK to be Chancellor, with portraying Pakistan as a rogue state targeting and victimising IK as a champion of Liberal Democracy in Pakistan. It is so sad that PTI supporters are defaming their own country at Int’l fora just to defend corruption of their leader,” he wrote on X.

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During his rebuttal, Iqbal made three key points and accused Imran Khan of supporting the Taliban.

“In which country is a leader charged with extra-constitutional acts by the Supreme Court recognised as a symbol of liberal democracy?” he questioned.

He further stated, “Whether a PM siphoning off £190m from the Treasury be recognised as a symbol of Liberal Democracy in the UK or punished and condemned for the rest of his life? Such a leader is known as corrupt in democracy and can’t be a symbol of liberal democracy.”