Summary:

Discourse analysis is concerned with understanding discursive construction

and the social consequences of that creation. The purpose of this study is to look at

Prime Minister Imran Khan's discursive practices to establish the discourse of

Pakistan's economic recovery. The underlying study issues were addressed through a

qualitative content analysis of data (gathered from a sample of three speeches given

during his official trips to China, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey). The frequency of

repeating terms was also counted to see how often they were used. The findings show

that the Prime Minister effectively established a discourse of optimism on Pakistan's

economic recovery by skillfully managing a range of discursive practices such as

specialized language, repetition, productive self, metaphoric expressions, active voice,

coherence, and allusions to attract foreign investors and give Pakistanis back home a

ray of hope.

Introduction:

Discourse and discourse analysis are two language words with much overlap.

According to Titscher et al. (2000), in Bayram, discourse encompasses several

dimensions of significance that "integrates a full spectrum of meanings" spanning

linguistic, economics, and philosophy. Discourse is a linguistic phrase related to

formal speech, writing, or conversation. A discourse can be delivered orally or in

writing. The researcher defines discourse as the use of words in communication. He

says that discourse analysis is a method of investigation into how fragments of

language in their whole-textual, social, and psychological settings become meaningful

and coherent for their users (Cook, 1992). According to Brown and Yule (1983),

discourse analysis is a multidimensional phenomenon including a wide range of

activities. It describes a wide range of activities at the intersection of many disciplines

such as sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, philosophical linguistics, and

computational linguistics. Political discourse is a multifaceted phrase that refers to a

variety of political discussions that take place in a variety of settings. According to

Schaffer (1996), political discourse is a sub-class of speech with two levels:

operational and thematic. Political discourse is the study of the words and actions of

various politicians and government organizations at the local, regional, and

international levels.

Background:

Ideologies, power struggles, and hegemony are all goals of political speech.

Political action is viewed as a means of gaining power, and language is used to

establish and maintain authority (Fairclough, 2002). Power and language are

inextricably linked. According to Martin (2014), politics cannot be imagined without

incentive. It is a procedure that necessitates the conceptualization of possibilities, the

analysis of those options, and making decisions. The researchers are supported by

studies in the field of Political Discourse Analysis (PDA). According to Bhatia

(2006), discourse analysts have always been drawn to the multifaceted aspect of

political speech. Discourse analysts try to decipher and analyze the signals sent by

politicians in a variety of language forms. The speeches of political leaders such as

Nelson Mandela, Barak Obama, Tayyip Erdogan, Donald Trump, Manmohan Singh,

and Nawaz Sharif, among others, have been investigated according to research studies

in the field of political discourse analysis (Shah and Alyas, 2019). These studies

investigated how political leaders worldwide used discursive techniques such as

language devices to express ideological conceptions, resulting in the development of a

discourse that fit their goal. The technologies they chose were primarily determined

by the context and social and political factors.

Implications:

According to (Shin and Parker, 2017), discourses are "sets of utterances that

build objects and an array of subject positions." The researcher is a sort of action in

which words are used to execute specific tasks. In this approach, discourse is a social

activity that often occurs in everyday life at various social levels and by various social

groups for various social purposes. According to (Brammer 2006), there is a strong

relationship between language and political involvement. Developing comprehension

abilities for international political discourses is critical for analyzing diplomatic

disputes on a global scale. The current study allows researchers working in political

discourse analysis to examine Prime Minister Imran Khan's discursive practices in

building the rhetoric of improving the economy for Pakistan in international forums.

Since two speeches were made in October and November 2018 and one in January

2019, this analysis investigates the most recent data. These formal foreign travels

were significant since they were the Prime Minister's first after winning the General

Elections in July 2018. PM's discourse was also crucial in enlisting the help of those

nations in resolving the country's economic challenges and shaping the country's

future foreign policy with them.

Objectives:

The following objectives and research questions are the goals of this research work.

 To identify and examine the discursive strategies employed to build the discourse

of Pakistan's economic recovery in a sample of speeches made by Imran Khan

during his international tours.

Research Questions:

 What discursive strategies did Imran Khan employ to establish Pakistan's

economic recovery discourse in three speeches given during his international

visits?

Literature Review:

Critical linguistics and theories are the foundations of critical discourse

analysis. According to Rahimi and Riasati (2011), the work of Norman Fairclough has

drawn a considerable number of researchers to this area since the 1980s. Critical

Discourse Analysis (CDA), according to Fairclough (1995), is a discourse analysis

that aims to explore the fuzzy associations of causality and determination between

discursive practices, events, and texts on the one hand, and broad social structures,

associations, and procedures on the other. He says that CDA studies how

ideologically influenced discursive practices, events, and texts are shaped via the

linkages of power and power struggle and dominance.

According to Wodak and Meyer (2009), discourse studies share the following

characteristics with semiotics, pragmatics, psycholinguistics, speaking ethnography,

and conversation analysis:

i. 'naturally occurring' linguistic features

ii. bigger units than single words and phrases

iii. action and interaction research

iv. nonverbal features of interaction v. socio-cognitive methods

vi. the settings in which language is used

vii. syntax and language use in text

According to (Zienkowski, 2011) Jager and Maier's Dispositive Analysis is the

closest approximation to the concept of discourse within the critical theory

framework. There are two parts to this content-oriented strategy: (1) Structure

Analysis and (2) Fine Analysis. The refined analysis comprises context, text surface,

and rhetorical techniques, whereas structural analysis focuses on describing

overarching topics and the medium. Dispositive Analysis examines the nature of

argumentation, argumentation tactics, inherent logic, text organization, suggested

implications, figurative devices, vocabulary and style, actors (person, pronominal

structure), references, and specifics of sources of knowledge.

The study concentrated on discourse analysis of data collection of speeches

made by Prime Minister Imran Khan throughout his international tours to promote

Pakistan's economic revival. However, it relied on some features of critical discourse

analysis (CDA), which traced the ideological linkages of the speaker's discursive

practices. According to Rashidi and Souzandehfar (2010), discourse analysis

highlights the relationship between language patterns and a limited sense of context. It

produces a limited understanding of social and cultural factors that influence our
lives. Critical discourse analysis (CDA), on the other hand, broadens its scope to

include the ideological dimensions of speech.

I used Fairclough's (1995) and Dijk's (1995) ideologies to answer the research

questions (2004). According to Fairclough, language is linked to social reality and

affects change in society. Further extending his thesis, he discusses the government's

use of language in critical ways, with a particular focus on the discourse and power

dynamics in society. "(a) linguistic characterization of the text, (b) assessment of the

link among the discursive operations and text, and (c) explanation of the relationship

among the discursive operations and the societal factors," Fairclough (1999) suggests

as a technique of discourse analysis. According to Dijk (1995), texts are based on the

philosophical viewpoint of the individual, organization, or other entity. Ideologies are

reflected and generated through conversation, according to Dijk (2004). I attempted to

develop my point of view for interpreting speech data. However, the conceptual

model proposed by Fairclough (1995) and Dijk (2004) helped me to piece together

meanings and understand the text of PM Imran Khan's speeches by discovering the

use of discursive practices to access linguistic description, explaining the link between

discursive practices as well as the text, and trying to identify the affiliation among

discursive practices and the message.

Data Collection:

Sample:

The sample was chosen for a specific reason. Prime Minister Imran Khan’s

three (3) speeches, made during his official overseas travels with the theme of

economic recovery for Pakistan, were used as a study sample. On October 23, 2018,

the first speech was at the Potential Investment Initiative Conference in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia. Speech-1 was 19:27 minutes long and was sourced from YouTube. On

November 5, 2018, in Shanghai, China, Speech-2 was delivered to the Chinese

business community. Speech-2 was 17:49 minutes long and was sourced from

YouTube. On the 3rd of January 2019, Speech #3 was delivered to a Turkish assembly

in Turkey. Speech-3 lasted for 8:11 minutes and was sourced from YouTube.

Speeches 1 and 2 were chosen because Pakistan’s connections with Saudi Arabia and

China have traditionally been seen as extremely important in terms of the country’s

foreign policy. Second, both nations have previously offered economic assistance to

Pakistan in times of need. As a result, both lectures were essential considering

Pakistan’s financial recovery narrative. Speech-3 was the most recent, and because

Pakistan’s diplomatic ties with Turkey have always been significant, every attempt

was taken to include all areas to make the sample as representative as possible.

Ethical Considerations:

On YouTube, video recordings of the selected talks were accessible. The

addresses did not contain any sensitive or contentious information kept under wraps.

Nonetheless, the remarks were transcribed with great care to eliminate any

inconsistencies in content. It was also assured that the data received from the social

networking site would be utilized solely for this study and that the data would be

handled in an unbiased manner.

Data Analysis:

To address the study questions, a qualitative content analysis of the material in

three speeches by Prime Minister Imran Khan was conducted. The following three-

dimensional functionalities of the qualitative approach, as defined by Ritchie (2013),

were noticed during this process: Contextual/exploratory (a), Explanatory (b), and (c)

Evaluative.

The transcripts of all the speeches were analyzed to examine the speaker's

numerous discursive strategies in constructing his narrative of Pakistan's economic

revival. The frequency of recurrent terms was also examined in the sample of talks.

Following the plan above, the three speeches of Prime Minister Imran Khan were

examined as a purposive sample for the research study, and themes related to the

research objectives were discovered. A topic can be expressed in a single word, a

phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, or the entire work, according to Minichiello et al.

(1990), as mentioned in Zhang and Wildermuth (2009). The expressions of an idea

are traced while using a theme as a coding unit.

Therefore, the word, sentences, and phrases that projected the use of various

discursive practices, such as the employment of specialized terminology, the

repetition device, positive self, ethnically and metaphorical language, meaningful

message, connection and cohesion, and allusions, were highlighted. The reasons for

using such discursive techniques and combining them with a political discourse were

analyzed and discussed in the next stage. The audience's reaction was used to assess

the efficacy of those discursive practices in producing the intended discourse in the

third and final phases.

Textual Analysis:

The text analysis is crucial to the discourse analysis process. The speaker's

linguistic tactics were highlighted in the textual analysis of the selected speeches.
Linguistic Devices:

According to Fairclough (1989), the description that detects linguistic traits is

a fundamental stage in the discourse-analytical process. It also creates objects of

knowledge, social identities, and interpersonal relationships. According to Wodak and

Meyer (2001), lexical interpretations reflect the author's choice. I sought to articulate

rational interpretations using Fairclough's technique to analyze Prime Minister Imran

Khan's words throughout his remarks to international forums. The most often used

linguistic devices are included in the following section:

Specific Terminology

Because the goal of all of PM Imran Khan’s international tours was to make

those nations aware of the steps taken by his newly formed administration to help

Pakistan’s economic recovery, the lexicon he used was heavily influenced by

economic terms. The use of terms such as “business,” “ease of doing business,”

“Invertors,” “financial zones,” “foreign reserves,” “fiscal deficit,” “current account

surplus,” IMF, “loans,” CPEC, PRT, Belt, and Road, as well as “trade” highlighted

Imran Khan’s agenda of establishing the discourse of Pakistan’s economic recovery.

The Application of Repetition Device

Foreign forum speeches are calculated and typically have predetermined goals,

which are met by employing relevant discursive methods to generate the intended

discourse.

One of the most widely utilized devices is repetition. According to Peter

(2004), the recurrence of phrases and words draws attention. According to the

linguistic study, the use of repetition can be seen in all three of Imran Khan's
speeches. There were two levels to this recurrence. Throughout all three talks, there

was a pattern of argument repetition. On every occasion, he acknowledged the

economic problems, expressed firm resolve to address them, invited foreign investors,

listed the reasons for Pakistan's business potential, presented future development

plans, promised them "ease of business," and expressed hope for economic recovery

in the days ahead. Furthermore, the repeated terms "Pakistan," "China," "Turkey,"

"business," "tourist," "overseas," "housing project," CPEC, "government," and "anti-

corruption efforts" helped understand the Prime Minister's goals. The repeating of

terms and expressions in each speech constituted the second stage. Imran Khan used

the term "trade" seven times in his third address in Turkey, emphasizing the

importance of trade links with Turkey in the country's overall economic development.

Constructive Self-Impression:

Imran Khan, as Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, projected

a positive and constructive self-image by using expressions such as "Naya Pakistan,"

"We need to get...", "We would have...", "We have been taking...", "We are

hoping...", "We have embarked on...", "We are trying...", "We have all this

opportunity...", "We will invite investments...", and "We have clamped down on

terrorism." Thus, his frequent usage of "we" rather than "I" was intended to convey

that he was speaking for his country as the head of state to present the case for

economic recovery.

The use of ethnic terminology was significant because Prime Minister Imran

Khan attempted to persuade the Chinese conference that corruption impedes

economic growth. China has faced and dealt with it admirably. He also stated that the

Pakistani government is willing to learn from China's experiences to revitalize the

country's economy. Similarly, when addressing the Turkish forum in speech-3, Prime

Minister Imran Khan skillfully used ethnicity as a tactic. He did not just recognize

their ancient civilization, but he also made a complete reference to their Turkish

forefathers' historical fight at the end of his address.

He reminded"...people were gathering money to help the Turkish Movement

of Independence in Turkey under Commander Atta Turk," he said, recalling the two

countries' previous emotional and moral ties. This tactic was a huge hit with the

crowd, who applauded it loudly and enthusiastically. The Prime Minister's goal was to

persuade the business community to revive commercial connections and attract

Turkish investors to Pakistan by reminding them of the trustworthy and dependable

relations that existed in the past between the two nations.

This striking contrast demonstrates Imran Khan’s preference for representing

his country above self-projection. As a result, he advocated inclusivity when

discussing the country’s future economic plans. The names of nations were prominent
among the other recurring terms. The constant usage of the word “Pakistan” was

appropriate as a representation of Pakistan and for creating discourse for Pakistan’s

economic revival. The name “China” in China and Saudi Arabia and Turkey indicated

the two countries’ solid connections and cooperative ventures, which the Prime

Minister described as “exemplary” and adequate confirmation of Pakistan’s economic

recovery efforts.

Results and Discussion:

The examination of three speeches given by Prime Minister Imran Khan

during overseas travels revealed that linguistic strategies were crucial in developing a

discourse of economic recovery for Pakistan at international forums. It was also

revealed that, when considering the topic and audience design, the context remained

crucial in the choice of discursive techniques, particularly in international forums.

The use of specific economic terminology, such as the fiscal deficit, current

account deficit, foreign reserves, loans, IMF, business, ease of doing business,

investors, economic zones, trade, CPEC, PRT, Belt and Road Initiative, and so on, has

been replicated in a very significant manner, encompassing all significant aspects of

Pakistan's economy. In this context, he acknowledged the poor economic policies of

the past, as well as their reasons, before outlining future intentions to begin the

economic recovery program.

In building his discourse, Pakistan's Prime Minister used the discursive

approach of a positive self-image of the country. The frequent usage of the

pronominal "we" instead of "I" indicated that he was speaking for his team of

government officials and his country on current economic conditions and future

planning and implementation for Pakistan's economic recovery.

 The employment of ethnic and figurative phrases was intended to persuade

international forums that Pakistan's struggle era in national economics was

comparable to theirs and that with their help and direction, Pakistan would recover

and make its imprint.

Prime Minister Imran Khan's active voice indicated the government's

commitment and strong will to confront all economic issues, seek aid from friendly

nations, and take the necessary practical actions to overcome economic impediments

to achieve economic stability.

The use of anaphoric and cataphoric allusions to build connectedness among

diverse arguments to generate cohesion in the speeches was influential in integrating

emergent subjects such as corruption and poverty alleviation to the significant theme

of Pakistan's economic revival.

Considering the relevance, ethnicity, and ideological preferences, the

integration of international, historical, scientific, and Islamic allusions helped craft

Pakistan's required economic recovery narrative persuasively.

The frequency of recurred terms and meanings helped identify developing

themes and analyze their significance to Pakistan’s economic recovery discourse.

Conclusion:

The current study investigated the role of discursive practices such as the use

of specific terminology, repetition, constructive self-impression, figurative

expressions, active voice, cohesiveness, and allusions in the construction of eco-

discourse by applying a qualitative content analysis approach to the text of a sample

of three speeches delivered by Prime Minister Imran Khan to foreign forums during
his official visits to Saudi Arabia, China, and Turkey. The researcher concluded from

the study's findings that discursive practices such as the need for technical words,

repetition, productive self, figurative gestures, active voice, cooperation, and allusions

demonstrated to be an efficient approach in the construction of a discourse of

improving economy for the nation by Prime Minister Imran Khan at global

conferences, trying to reflect the assessment and regard for the attacker's ideologies.

The goal of establishing this dialogue appeared to be to seek financial

assistance from the visited countries in the form of loans to repay previous loans,

foreign investments to maintain the balance of foreign reserves, joint ventures to

employ the youth, and strategic assistance to combat corruption, which appears to be

the most significant roadblock to economic recovery.

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