The missing president

This letter refers to the news report ‘In a first, Israr Kakar from Balochistan wins Oxford Union Presidency’ (June 9, 2024). I am a student at Oxford and have been closely following your coverage of Pakistani presidents of the Oxford Union. The report mentions three presidents: Benazir Bhutto, Ahmad Nawaz, and Israr Kakar. It is indeed a great honour for Pakistan to have its citizens elected to this prestigious position. However, I would like to bring to your attention an important correction. Pakistan has had four, not three, students elected as Oxford Union presidents.

The first was Tariq Ali, who served as president in the third term of 1965. Recognizing Tariq Ali’s achievement is significant. He has been a prominent activist and writer throughout his long career and deserves to be acknowledged as the first Pakistani Oxford Union president. It would be greatly appreciated if the record could be corrected in your newspaper, honouring all four distinguished individuals.

Alia Shah

UK