Persuasive Strategies in Pakistani Politics: A Corpus-Assisted Qualitative Study of Political Speeches’ Influence on Public Cognition

Abstract

This research paper investigates the role of metaphors in political discourse, focusing on how they reflect the thoughts, beliefs, and ideologies of political leaders. Recognizing that metaphors are inherently persuasive, the study explores their cognitive function in shaping audience perception. The research analyzes political speeches by two prominent Pakistani leaders—Nawaz Sharif (June 2013 – July 2017) and Imran Khan (August 2018 – April 2022). Their speeches were compiled into two corpora: NSPS (Nawaz Sharif Political Speeches) and IKPS (Imran Khan Political Speeches). A mixed-method research design was adopted. For quantitative analysis, a corpus-based approach was used to measure metaphor frequency in the speeches. For qualitative analysis, the study applied Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory to interpret the cognitive processes behind the metaphors and assess their impact on public ideology. The findings reveal that metaphors in political speeches are intentionally employed to express underlying beliefs and project ideological viewpoints. Politicians use metaphors strategically to influence the mindset of the audience and reinforce their own political agendas. However, the analysis in this study is limited to the semantic dimension of metaphor, without consideration of pragmatic elements such as context and speaker intention. The researchers therefore recommend that future studies may incorporate pragmatic aspects to provide a more comprehensive understanding of metaphor use in political discourse.