Oxford University student from Balochistan Israr Kakar has won the Oxford Union Presidency, making history as the third Pakistani and the first person from Balochistan to achieve this honor.
He is only the 3rd Pakistani and first from Balochistan to become the President of Oxford Union. Benazir Bhutto was the first Pakistani to become the Oxford Union President in 1977.
Israr hails from a small village in Killa Abdullah district, located along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the Balochistan province. He is the youngest of 13 siblings. He completed primary education in his village and then went on to study in Abbottabad, Lahore, and the United States for matriculation and intermediate studies.
Israr completed LLB honors from the University of Aberdeen with distinction. He then went on to do Bar at Law from Lincoln’s Inn on a fully funded scholarship. He is currently enrolled in the DPhil program at the Law Department of the University of Oxford. Israr is only the second among his siblings to go to college. His elder brother was also a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford.
Oxford Union’s official newspaper reported: “Israr Khan has been elected Oxford Union President for Hilary Term 2024 with 617 first preferences against opponent Izzy Horrocks-Taylor’s 393 first preferences. The margin is significantly wider than in the Union’s previous two elections when the top two candidates only differ by a handful of votes. Rachel Haddad Moskalenko, Moosa Harraj, and Siddhant Nagrath won the elections for Librarian, Treasurer, and Secretary respectively. This marks the first time the Union’s four officer positions will all be from BAME backgrounds.”
