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About

Pakistan's national schools debating circuit.

The Debating Society of Pakistan runs the national schools debating circuit and selects the team that represents Pakistan at the World Schools Debating Championships. Its mission, in circulation since the society's earliest public presence: “promote & inculcate the arts of debating, elocution & public speaking in the student population of Pakistan.”

History

Non-profit and volunteer-run, the society was founded around 1990. Its founding president, Sonu Rahman, is widely credited as the founder of school debating in Pakistan; she died in Lahore on 1 September 2025. The Sonnu Rahman All-Pakistan Junior Debating Championship is named for her; the Raziuddin Shaikh All-Pakistan Senior Debating Championship is the society's flagship tournament.

Pakistan at the World Schools Debating Championships

Pakistan has competed at the World Schools Debating Championships every year since 1991, missing only 1998 and 2003. The team reached the Grand Final in 1994, in Wellington — the first finalist from outside Britain, North America or Australasia — and again in 1996.

At Singapore 2015, Pakistan went unbeaten through all eight preliminary rounds, broke third, beat the Philippines and Greece in the knockout rounds, and lost the semi-final to the hosts — taking the Best ESL Team award. In 2021, the team reached the quarter-finals, ranked 6th of 74. At Nairobi 2026, Pakistan reached the semi-finals, beaten by the eventual champions, Canada.

Team Pakistan

Team Pakistan is selected from the season's circuit: the tournaments produce a shortlist, alongside up to five discretionary applications with recommendation letters. A two-phase National Team Selection Camp — online, then in person — picks the squad, and the coaching panel is ratified by a member vote. The World Schools Debating Championships lists the Debating Society of Pakistan as Pakistan's National Organisation.

Executive committee

The current Executive Committee is published after each Annual General Meeting. Write to the secretariat with any question about who currently acts for the society.