Hate speech in Pakistani politics: A critical discourse analysis

Abstract: The political instability and polarization in Pakistan signify the need for research to address hate speech in political discourse and to foster a more inclusive and democratic political culture. The primary objectives of this study were to analyze the current state of hate speech in political discourse and propose actionable steps to mitigate its impact. The study employed Fairclough’s (2018) approach to Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as dialectical reasoning, using it as a theoretical framework to examine the hateful speeches and statements made by prominent politicians. The analysis, structured around critique, explanation, and action, scrutinizes the adversarial rhetoric, derogatory vocabularies, and interdiscursive strategies used by political leaders. Data was collected from news reports and social media covering speeches made by key figures from Pakistan’s three main political parties: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), during the period from April 2022 to June 2024. This period, marked by the no-confidence vote against then-Prime Minister Imran Khan, exemplifies the heightened political polarisation in the country. The findings reveal that politicians from all three parties engaged in the use of hateful and abusive language, significantly contributing to the already fragile state of democracy. It was also revealed that political discourse in Pakistan is heavily shaped by religious, nationalist, and populist rhetoric, which fuels hostility and further undermines democratic processes. The study advocates for constructive deliberation and a reframing of political discourse among party leaders to address and reverse the deteriorating situation. Keywords: Democracy, Scrutinizes, Interdiscursivity, Political, Nationalist.