The Rhetoric of the Rabble: Populism and the Language of the Masses in Pakistan
Populism in Pakistan is not merely a political strategy—it is a rhetorical mode that performs authenticity, exaggerates proximity to the masses, and manufactures the illusion of moral clarity. From the stage to the screen, populist leaders manipulate language to present themselves as the sole voice of the people—while silencing dissent as elitist, foreign, or treacherous.
At the core of populist discourse lies the binary construction of society: the pure, suffering people versus the corrupt, conspiratorial elite. Politicians draw from this trope with phrases like “yeh ghareeb awaam,” “yeh corrupt mafia,” or “humari jung haq aur batil/na-haq ka muqabla hai.” These are not just slogans—they are linguistic performances of virtue, situating the speaker as both savior and sufferer.
Van Dijk’s socio-cognitive approach helps decode this strategy. Populist leaders activate shared scripts: the memory of betrayal, the fantasy of revolution, the mythology of a golden past. Through repeated tropes—"qasai qom ke khilaaf," "ghulami ke zanjeer todna"—they evoke collective resentment and channel it into emotional legitimacy.
Another key mechanism is code-switching. Populists oscillate between high Urdu, street slang, and English catchphrases to perform linguistic intimacy. This deliberate inconsistency suggests authenticity—"See, I speak like you,"—while confusing critique by making ideology indistinguishable from personality.
Grammatically, populism thrives on declarative absolutes: “Main choron ko nahi chhorun ga,” “Logon ka faisla a chuka hai.” These sentences create inevitability—making opposition seem irrational or even immoral. There is no room for debate in such syntax, only applause or betrayal.
Media further amplifies this dynamic. Talk shows become verbal gladiator arenas where charisma trumps coherence, and volume replaces logic. Populist rhetoric gains power not through content but through repetition, spectacle, and simplicity.
What this produces is a linguistic culture of immediacy and emotion—where reflection is branded as hesitation, and policy as betrayal. In such an atmosphere, the language of governance becomes indistinguishable from the language of rallies.
To counter populism's linguistic seduction, Pakistan needs to restore complexity to its political grammar. Democracy is not a war cry—it is a discourse of deliberation. Until we recover the syntax of reason, the semantics of rage will continue to rule the stage.
