A Political Discourse Analysis of the Rhetorical and Persuasive Devices Used by Balochistan’s Politicians in their Public Speeches

Abstract

This study examines politicians' persuasive methods and rhetoric in Balochistan, a socioeconomically challenged province in southwestern Pakistan. This study analyzes twenty speeches from 10 Balochistan’s political leaders from five major parties to understand political communication and its impact on public opinion and policy. Balochistani politics uses repetition to stress party priorities and keep them in political discourse. Modality, especially future promises, is used to reassure voters of politicians' unwavering commitment to specific issues, frequently tied to cultural and religious values. Positive self-presentation promotes politicians and their parties, whereas negative other-presentation denigrates opponents, other parties, and individuals. In addition, metaphors and personification simplify difficult ideas, while ethnicity allusions connect with specific voter demographics. Politicians use these rhetorical skills to engage, persuade, and organize a varied population in Balochistan's complex political debate. This study illuminates the complicated relationship between language, rhetoric, and politics in a socioeconomically challenged and politically complex region. The findings illuminate Balochistan's political communication and its substantial impact on public opinion and policy.