A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF SPEECH ACTS IN PAKISTANI POLITICAL DISCOURSE ON X/TWITTER DURING THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTIONS

Abstract

This study investigates the pragmatic dimensions of political discourse on Twitter (X) during Pakistan’s 2024 general elections, focusing on the speech acts and strategies employed by the three major political parties: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Drawing on Speech Act Theory as the primary analytical framework, the research analyses a purposively selected set of tweets to explore how politicians use language to persuade, mobilize, and construct political identities in the digital sphere. The analysis reveals that PTI frequently employed assertive and directives to frame its campaign as a movement of resistance, while PML-N relied on commissive and politeness strategies to emphasize development, stability, and leadership continuity. PPP combined commissive and expressive, appealing simultaneously to welfare-oriented promises and the symbolic legacy of Benazir Bhutto. The findings highlight how speech acts, metaphors, presuppositions, and implicatures function pragmatically to reinforce party narratives and shape public perceptions. More broadly, the study demonstrates that Twitter has become a vital space for political contestation in Pakistan, where rhetorical strategies are not only directed toward immediate electoral gains but also toward the longer project of constructing legitimacy and authority. By uncovering these pragmatic features, the research contributes to a deeper understanding of digital political communication in South Asia and underscores the significance of social media as a site where language, power, and democracy intersect.