A COMPREHENSIVE PRAGMATIC EXAMINATION OF IMRAN KHAN’S UNO ADDRESS THROUGH THE LENS OF POLITENESS STRATEGIES

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the politeness strategies employed by Prime Minister Imran Khan of
Pakistan during his address at the UN General Assembly. In this study, descriptive qualitative
methodology is used. The data for this study are in the form of utterances and sentences. Data is taken
from Imran Khan’s speech on the United Nations YouTube channel, and the transcription of the speech is
analyzed. Through the researcher’s observation, the data is examined inductively. Brown & Levinson’s
theoretical framework of politeness is used to analyze Imran Khan’s speech. Brown& Levinson’s
politeness strategies are analyzed in the given study. The primary concern of this study is to examine the
use of negative and positive politeness strategies in Imran Khan’s speeches. Moreover, what is the role of
politeness in conversation? Findings demonstrate that Imran Khan has used politeness strategies to
maintain positive social relationships, mitigate face threats, and build trust at the international level. The
results show that positive politeness strategies prevailed, creating global solidarity, while negative
politeness was a strategic choice to mitigate sensitive information. These findings demonstrate the
tactical use of politeness in text. Positive and negative strategies employed in the speech are tagged by
using MAXQDA. The reason for choosing Imran Khan’s speech at the 76th session of the UNGA for this
study is that his speech is related to language, particularly pragmatics. It is recommended that future
researchers explore the sociological determinants of politeness techniques through various theoretical
frameworks and by examining alternative topics.