ANALYZING THE LANGUAGE OF PROTEST IN PTI’S CAMPAIGN FOR FAIR ELECTIONS: A SOCIAL SEMIOTIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The protest language employed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in its quest for impartial elections is examined in this research. This qualitative study used Gunther Kress's (1988) paradigm of social semiotics, the study investigates the ways in which PTI's chants, signs, and slogans generate meaning and promote group behaviour. The objective is to comprehend how, in diverse social circumstances, these communication instruments promote social change, reflect ideas, and deliver messages. The research examined a number of protest placards, chant slogan transcriptions and posts on social media from demonstrations and rallies organised by the PTI. The process entails locating recurring signs, symbols, and language patterns, then analysing how these components combine to form a cohesive message that challenges the current quo in politics and appeals to supporters. According to the research, the main topics of PTI's protest language are anti-corruption, justice, and transparency. These concepts are captured in slogans like "Azadi March" ("Freedom March"), which conveys their meaning in an influencing yet powerful way. The party's devotion to democratic principles and national identity is emphasised via visual metaphors like national flags and justice scales. Furthermore, the report points out that PTI uses inclusive language and patriotic symbols in its chants and placards to promote solidarity among followers, as well as a feeling of urgency and collective identity. This study uses Kress's social semiotics framework to show how PTI's protest language effectively communicates the party's political goals and ideology while acting as a major instrument for popular participation and mobilisation. The findings showed language, imagery, and context work together to create an emotional and rhetorical impact that affects public opinion and political discourse. Overall, this study provides insights into the ways in which social movements use semiotic tools to communicate and effect change in the sociopolitical environments in which they operate.