WORDS AS WEAPONS: A SPEECH ACT ANALYSIS OF SOVEREIGNTY AND POWER RHETORIC IN RECENT SPEECHES OF PAKISTAN’S FIELD MARSHAL ASIM MUNIR

Abstract

This study focuses on the functioning of the language of Field Marshal Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff in Pakistan, to build the meanings of sovereignty, power and national identity using speech acts in his recent public addresses. The study discusses the role of linguistic performance as an action in the political-military discourse. Six speeches of field marshal Munir (2023-2024) have been analyzed based on the frameworks of the Speech Act Theory by Austin (1962) and Searle (1969) through the qualitative discourse analysis. The speeches were transcribed, coded and classified into assertive, commissive, declarative and expressive acts following the opted framework. The findings have showed that field marshal’s language is characterized by assertive and commissive performances which are the elements of institutional authority and defense. The study brings out language as a performative state weapon, in which words create and recreate power relations. The speech acts of these public addresses linguistically enact the sovereignty of Pakistan showing that in politics-military, to speak is equal to act.