Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review

The Masks We Wear: False Self as a Response to Existential Isolation in No Longer Human

Momal Masood Malik — 2025-04-09

This research analyses Yozo Oba, the protagonist of Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human (1958) and his existential dilemma of isolation alongside his need to belong. Such a conflict creates anxiety, leading to fabricated personas, and the study investigates its sociological impacts as well as Yozo’s lack of resolution. Through the application and integration of Irvin Yalom’s existential isolation and Donald Winnicott’s false self, the study interprets Yozo as ultimately hiding behind the mask of this false self and failing to realise his truth. The research employs close reading and qualitative analysis of the text to reveal that in a world littered with elaborate facades and social pressures, to be human is to embrace one’s truth, cast off one’s mask and navigate the delicate balance between isolation and Additional research is required to explore the relationship between existential isolation and the false self and its representation within the literary domain.

Postcolonial Feminism and the Collapse of the American Dream: A Postwomanial Comparative Analysis of Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Asma Mustafa — 2025-04-11

Within Western feminist discourse, in reaction to the constraints of traditional narratives, postcolonial feminism scrutinizes the interconnectedness of gender, race, and histories of colonialism (Mohanty, 1988). This study analyze how Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah and Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things use narrative disruption to challenge hegemonic structures and illuminate the exclusions implicit in dominant ideologies, like the American Dream, respectively. From the approach of a postcolonial feminism analysis, this allows ways of understanding both Feed - Ifemelu in this novel and Ammu as an object whose identity is shaped by the systemic inequalities relative to race, class, and gender. Ifemelu’s disillusionment with the myth of the American meritocracy and Ammu’s marginalization in patriarchal India are both instances of the imposing restrictions of imperial and patriarchal systems. Collectively, these works make visible the significance of recognizing lang/hter feminist paradigms and a call to rediscover that includes global stories often framed as exclusionary due to the palladiums of feelings of progress and success.

Delving into Speech Act of Suggestion: A Case of Pakistani EFL Learners

Asra Irshad — 2025-04-12

Pragmatic instruction specially related to speech acts focuses on providing awareness to the language learners to determine language functions in different social contexts for the enhancement of their pragmatic skills. This study examines the use of suggestion strategies in English by Pakistani EFL learners. The results of the study show some differences in the pragmatical and grammatical appropriateness as well as in the use of some suggestion strategies between first year and final year EFL Pakistani learners at bachelor’s level. The study reveals no significant difference in the preferences of major suggestion strategies by both male and female Pakistani EFL learners. Interestingly, the female learners were observed to use more softened categories of suggestions than the male students, whereas the male students were observed to use more direct categories of suggestions than the female learners. The study also indicates that Pakistani EFL learners often suggest in English and are aware of the status differences for using suggestion strategies in English. The study implies the incorporation of pragmatic instruction of speech acts in ESL courses in Pakistan.

Metacognitive Awareness and Its Effect on Reading Comprehension among Intermediate ESL Students

Sajida Nazar — 2025-04-14

The aim of this study is to provide a detailed analysis of the effectiveness of metacognitive strategies on reading comprehension skills among intermediate students. Reading comprehension plays pivotal role in academic achievements; however, many students face challenges like; extracting relevant information, summarizing text, and vocabulary issues. In order to access these issues a quasi-experimental research approach is adopted, which involves pre and post-tests assessments of control and experimental groups. In the intervention phase, the control groups were taught through traditional method, while the experimental groups were taught using metacognitive strategies. T-test was used to find the differences among both the groups through statistical means. The results show that after the intervention phase, experimental group showed significant improvement. Hence, it was devised from the results that metacognitive strategies should be applied to improve reading comprehension skills, instead of teaching traditionally. English language teachers should include metacognitive strategies in their lesson plans to improve reading comprehension skills.

Legal Strategies for Addressing the Environmental Challenges: A Pathway to Sustainable Governance in Pakistan

Shuhab Ud Din Shaikh — 2025-04-16

The article examines the legal systems and sustainable governance practices Pakistan uses to handle environmental crises. The implementation of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act of 1997 meets financial support requirements but suffers from inadequate institutional capabilities and weak enforcement ability thus diminishing its operational effectiveness. This research examines environmental law effectiveness in present times before proposing governance development strategies. Legal and policy documents serve as the basis for qualitative research conducted by authors who demonstrate that institutional capacity together with public involvement and standard adherence play central roles. The analysis shows emergency regulatory shortcomings that need advanced institutional systems and better public knowledge. The paper points out that environmental problems need customized legal treatment. Environmental sustainability and governance management in Pakistan needs development of three fundamental elements which include accountable systems alongside transparent operational procedures and institutional resilience for enduring administration.

Translation and Validation of Basic Need Satisfaction in General Scale

Syeda Asma Gillani — 2025-04-16

Using Pakistani teenagers, the current research aimed to convert and validate the Basic Need Satisfaction in General (BNSG) scale into Urdu. In line with Brislin's (1980) theory, the translation included forward translation, backward translation, and expert group review to verify cultural and conceptual suitability. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was run on data from 200 teenage to verify the construct validity of the Urdu version. The model displayed a good fit after eliminating one item with a negative factor loading and adding error covariances because of item overlap; hence, the structural validity of the modified scale was confirmed (CFI = .96, TLI = .93, RMSEA = .052). The results indicate that the Urdu translation of BNSG is a psychometrically strong instrument for gauging psychological demands in Pakistani youth. Recommendations suggest that future studies should confirm the scale over many territories and age groups in Pakistan and use longitudinal and mixed method designs for more extensive applicability and more full cultural adaptation.

A left Critique of Neoliberalism and Resistance in Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Ayaz Muhammad Shah — 2025-04-18

Neoliberalism, as a latest phase of capitalism, is countered by the recent left. Using the paradigm of the recent left critique that is a kind of “neo-Marxist” critique against neoliberalism, the present study aims to investigate the novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist’s critique and resistance towards neoliberalism. According to the left critique, neoliberalism advances the interests of corporate elites, dominant groups and states and has negative consequences for the working classes and peripheral societies that ultimately results in schism. The findings shows that the novel reveals that neoliberalism promotes the wellbeing of prosperous corporations and the leading states, and it has negative implications for the working class and third-world countries. Consequently, neoliberalism engenders oppositions among the downtrodden towards the rich. The study is handy in exploring the contemporary left critique of neoliberalism in art works, particularly, in Anglophone Pakistani writings. Thus it is suggested to carryout further research in the area.

Translation and Validation of Parent as Social Context (Child Report) Scale

Syeda Asma Gillani — 2025-04-19

The objective of this study was to translate the Parent as Social Context Questionnaire (Child Form) into Urdu and to culturally adapt and validate it for use in Pakistan. This is important because culturally appropriate tools are needed for assessment. After translation as per the guidelines of Brislin (1980), the questionnaire was validated for a sample of 200 children using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The initial results of CFA did not reveal a good model fit; however, after the adjustments of error covariance, the model fit indices improved significantly (CFI =.94, RMSEA =.06), thus supporting the construct validity of the adapted version. The factor loadings were between .40 and .91, with most items showing acceptable squared multiple correlations. The validated scale is an excellent and reliable measure of children's perception of parenting behaviors in Pakistan. On the downside, the study addressed limitations facing the small, homogeneous sample and subjective self-reports, suggesting the need for generating culturally relevant tools. Recommendations incorpoate validating the scale within a larger sample and longitudinally.