LONDON: Oxford Union’s new president, Moosa Harraj, said that it’s a matter of pride for him to be elected as president of the world’s oldest and most prestigious debating society, but the journey leading up to the win has been challenging.
Harraj, who is originally from Khanewal, was elected Oxford Union president last week for Michaelmas Term 2025.
Speaking to Geo News, Harraj shared that he faced attacks and slurs from his opponents during the campaign but continued undeterred.
He fought a tough contest for the world’s most famous debating society and won a decisive mandate of 200 votes over his opponent, Chris Collins, in an election that saw an unprecedentedly high turnout. He received 833 first preferences, one of the highest votes cast for a candidate for president in recent times.
Harraj is the son of former and current federal minister Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj. He is the fifth Pakistani to be elected to the prestigious position after former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, left-wing intellectual Tariq Ali and former presidents Ahmad Nawaz and Israr Khan.
“Oxford Union is the world’s oldest and most prestigious debating society. Former prime minister Boris Johnson said it was easier for him to become the UK prime minister than the president of the Oxford Union. It was a tough contest, but thanks to the support of my team and friends, my whole team were elected with huge margins.”
He said that he faced a slew of dirty attacks and campaigning by his opponents. “They called me an ISI agent. Some said that the Pakistani cabal was taking over Oxford. There were several attacks from all sides, some from Pakistanis and some from others,” he added.
“The resentment in these cases happens. Some local students are those whose entire families have studied at Oxford for several generations. For them, it’s difficult to accept that people like us, who are the first in their family to go to Oxford, are taking over these prestigious positions.”
Harraj’s entire team, named Bridge, swept the officer elections. Katherine Yang secured the Librarian-elect position with 826 first preferences, Pakistani student Raza Nazar won as Treasurer-elect with 878 first preferences, and Jennifer Yang was elected Secretary with 855 first preferences.
The new Oxford Union president added that he will use his position to strengthen partnerships across diverse backgrounds and issues. “I have always believed that Pakistan is full of talent. I was fortunate enough that I had access to opportunity from a young age, but I want to try to expand that to as many people as I can.”
“We have worked on this already with the union partnering with OPP and LMH and announcing six scholarships for students from marginalised backgrounds. I will continue the work in this to democratises access for all from developing backgrounds of South Asia. I want to use the presidency to platform voices from the global south to show we are full of talent as well and that the West can learn from us.”
The Harraj heir intends to join politics in Pakistan once his education is completed, but his first priority is to complete his education at Oxford: “I feel incredibly fortunate to have received such a privileged education, which I want to use in the service of my people.”
Harraj joined Oxford University in 2023 to pursue his MPhil in Economics at Balliol College, Oxford. He studied at Aitchison College, Lahore, before pursuing the rest of his secondary education at Charterhouse School in Surrey.
Having done his undergraduate studies at the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE) and Harvard University, Moosa joined the University of Oxford in 2023 to pursue his MPhil in Economics at Balliol College, Oxford.
