“TELLING” THE “TOLD” THROUGH INTERVENED POWER EXERCISE FOR REGIME CHANGE IN PAKISTAN: A CRITICAL NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF PAKISTANI DIPLOMATIC CYPHER (MARCH 07, 2022)

Abstract

The study is conducted to analyze the diplomatic Cypher leaked by The Intercept website. The Cypher consists of the diplomatic conversation between Pakistani Ambassador Asad Majeed and US diplomats Donald Lu. This Cypher proved the intentions of the US behind the regime change in Pakistan that took place on April 10, 2022, and the Ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Imran Khan was replaced. The study is conducted to analyze the narrative in Cypher’s text critically. Mishler’s typology of narrative analysis (1995) is adopted as the research model. In Mishler’s (1995) typology, the first methodological category is “Reference and Temporal Order: The “Telling” and the “Told,” which mainly focuses on the references as the representational problem, keeping concerning the finding of the correspondence between the temporal sequence of actions, events and the symbolic orders inside data. The method in the second category is “Textual Coherence and Structure: Narrative Strategies,” and the last is “Narrative Functions: Context and Consequences.” Through the framework, the narrative analysis focuses on these methods, illuminating the larger society through personal and group stories. The present study has adopted the first category of analysis; “Reference and Temporal Order: The “Telling” and the “Told”. Mishler (1995) allows the researcher to adopt further approaches and frameworks according to the aim of the study. There are different subcategories of research orientation, so specific frameworks such as the Labove model of narrative analysis (1972). The study results show a high exercise of power, and specific directions are given. Supremacy of own narrative, considering self as Hero and own nation consisted of the heroic values, loaded figurative language about the existence of aspects, ironical meanings, resistance against one another’s perspectives, and discourse of hegemony on the cognition is presented.