A War of Supremacy Deciphering Peace and Security Stratagems in Pakistani and Indian Prime Ministers' Discourses: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

This rigorous research attempts a comparative analysis of the South Asian leaders’ political discourses and deciphers covert power and ideological stratagems in the selected speeches of Pakistani and Indian Prime Ministers—Nawaz Sharif and Narendra Modi. The underlying objective of the study rests in examining holistically the relationship between ‘text’ and clandestine elements of power and ideological stratagems that manipulate supremacy in the region. The verbal attacks by leaders give rise to animosity, rivalries and insecurity. This background entails analysis of the language that ‘persuades and provokes covert motifs’ (woods, 2006). The researchers employ the Faircloughian 3D-model integrated with Halliday’s SFL framework as a research method that helps in analyzing discursive practices in discourses. The study finds the deliberate use of linguistic choices and expletive devices for the maintenance of supremacy and dominance. The study recommends a socio-political and pragmatic analysis of diplomatic discourses and refers further research in interdisciplinary fields: pragmatics, corpus-linguistics and sociology.