Critical Discourse Analysis of Discursive Strategies Employed in Unga Speeches of Imran Khan: A Socio-Cognitive Perspective

Abstract

Language is a powerful tool used by socio-political actors to persuade and win support. This study investigated how Pakistani political leaders use language to gain support from other countries' leaders and the general public. Specifically, it analyzed Imran Khan's speeches at the United Nations General Assembly to identify linguistic and discursive strategies that revealed ideological perspectives. Using a qualitative approach, the study collected speeches from Google and the UNGA's website via purposive sampling and analyzed them using Textual Analysis and Teun A. van Dijk's (2005) Model. The findings shows that Khan employed various devices, including topicalization, polarization, lexicalization, populism, metaphor, and the dichotomy of positive self-representation and negative other-representation. These strategies served to promote Pakistan's perspective, advocate peace, and counter Islamophobia. This research highlights the role of language in shaping socio-political realities and suggests further comparative research on world leaders' speeches at the UNGA to explore universal and culturally specific rhetorical strategies in global diplomacy.