Framing War with Humour A Multimodal Critical Discourse and Verbal Humour Analysis of Pakistani Memes on the 2025 Pakistan–India Conflict

Abstract

This Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis and Verbal Humour Analysis of Pakistani Memes examines how Pakistani Generation Z employs Instagram memes as a participatory medium to express their perspectives on national identity and geopolitical dynamics during the 2025 Pakistan–India War. Following a qualitative research design, the study employs a triangulated framework, comprising MCDA, Framing Theory, and the General Theory of Verbal Humour (GTVH) to analyse the lexical, syntactic and visual choices in the selected memes; the way these memes frame war, its actors and the national identity; and the functions of humour in the times of national crisis. The data for this research were collected from a purposive sample of 10 war-related Instagram memes, posted between April 28 and May 10, 2025. The results of the study show that these meme, characterised by non-standard syntax, code-mixing and meshing, colloquial jargon, personalised, trivialised, domesticated, gamified frames, irony, exaggeration, discursive resistance strategies, and dark humour, provide a light-hearted lens through which serious subjects such as war, education, and national pride are critically explored. The contribution of this research to discourse studies lies in its application of a hybrid theoretical framework to analyse digital humour within a geopolitical crisis. The findings affirm how Instagram memes have emerged not only as entertainment but also as an accessible mode of resistance, self-expression, and civic engagement for Pakistan’s youth.