REPRESENTATION OF POSITIVE-SELF AND NEGATIVE-OTHER IN PAKISTANI POLITICAL DISCOURSE
Abstract
Tehreem Rustam
MPhil in Applied Linguistics
Dr. Tamsila Naeem
Assistant Professor, Department of Linguistics and Communications, School of Liberal Arts, University of Management and Technology, Lahore.https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4894-6529
This qualitative research aims to critically analyze the elements of positive-self and negative-other in a political speech by a renowned Pakistan political party leader, Mr. Nawaz Sharif through Van Dijk’s postulates of Social Power Abuse (2006). Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the chairman of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, came to Pakistan on the 21st of October 2023. He delivered a speech on his arrival at Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore. This speech was about 54 minutes long and covered areas like Pakistan's political, economic, and social conditions. Additionally, the speech provides an insightful look into the discursive techniques utilized in political rhetoric. He seeks to maintain continuity with past achievements and presents himself as a steadfast guardian of democratic principles and national interests. His rhetoric revolves around preserving the status quo and defending against perceived threats to his leadership. The study shows how ideological conflicts, discursive practices, and power relations are exercised and framed in a political context in Pakistan through political speeches.
Keywords: Political discourse, positive-self, negative-other, political debates, social power abuse
