Student Number

29813

Degree

Master of Science in Development Studies

School

School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS)

Date of Submission

Summer 6-16-2026

Supervisor

Dr. Amir Hamza Marwan, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts (SSLA), Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi

Committee Member 1

Dr. Amir Hamza Marwan, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences

Committee Member 2

Dr. Farooq Sulehria, Examiner, Assistant Professor, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore.

Committee Member 3

Dr. Arslan Waheed, Program Director, Graduate Programs SSLA, Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi

Keywords

Critical Discourse Analysis, Ethnic Political Dissent, PTM, Pakistani Newspapers, Media Representation, Securitization, Legtimacy

Abstract

This research investigates how ethnic political dissent is represented in mainstream Englishlanguage Pakistani newspapers through the case of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM). The study examines how language, framing, source selection, and journalistic practices contribute to the construction of dissent within broader narratives of legitimacy, security, and state authority in Pakistan. The data consists of selected English-language newspaper articles collected from the period between January 2018 and December 2024. The research employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), using Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model to analyze the selected texts at the levels of text, discursive practice, and social practice. The findings suggest that ethnic political dissent is frequently represented through securityoriented language, while official sources are often privileged over dissenting voices. The study concludes that mainstream English-language newspaper discourse plays an important role in shaping how ethnic dissent is understood, legitimized, or delegitimized within Pakistan’s political and media landscape.

Submission Type

Thesis

Document Type

Restricted Access

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