A Data Driven Analysis of Political Communication at X

A Critical Discourse Analysis of Pakistan’s Politics, Security, and Civil Society Tweets from September 15 to October 15, 2025 X (Twitter).

Political parties, government agencies, and civil society groups are all battling to sway public opinion. During the month, from mid-September to mid-October 2025, the online conversations of  Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F),  military’s , and civil society groups (like human rights groups and journalists) showed different trends. This article uses critical discourse analysis (CDA) to look over their tweets. CDA is a means to figure out how words shape reality, support power, and push other views to the side. It’s exactly right for Pakistan, where leaders, institutions, and activists tell very different stories. PTI leader sent roughly 42 tweets from Adiala Jail during this time. In almost 80 tweets from their main account and , PML-N’s leadership talked about how they won in government. In almost 60 tweets, PPP leadership talked about both local wins and big-picture issues. About 34 times, JUI-F pushed for Islamic unity. Military  gave 13 updates that were focused on operations. And civil society, which includes groups like HRCP, Amnesty South Asia, and influencers dropped about 30 on rights breaches. The posts were in Urdu and English, so they reached people at home and abroad. The pictures made the posts much more powerful. There is a lot going on: disobedience, cheerleading, appeals for unity, religious pushback, a firm military stance, and fighting for rights. It shows how X keeps the fire going for protests and calls for answers. PML-N’s Point of View: Moving Forward and Staying Steady PML-N’s tweets tell a story of clever, effective leadership by . They talk about fixing up roads and making Punjab a better place to live, as well as social benefits like free dialysis, housing loans, and HPV injections. They also talk about how to save money by bidding online. Pakistan’s place in the globe is clear from its connections to other countries, notably Saudi Arabia’s money and support for Gaza. There are a lot of statistics and shoutouts like “Punjab Goes Fully Digital!” and hashtags to keep fans coming back.  PML-N supports a tech-savvy populism, and they strengthen their hold with “deeds, not just talk.” They also slyly attack their competitors by bringing up earlier PTI tweets about policing to stay strong throughout hiccups in the road.

The Story of the PPP: Welfare and Balancing the Federation PPP has significant roots in Sindh and is part of the alliance. It uses local wins to make national calls. Some of the good things that have happened include that Khairpur SEZ won FT awards and PPPs ranked sixth in the world. There have also been improvements in welfare, including the Benazir Hari Card for farmers and upgrades to the NICVD. There have also been strong anti-terror stands, like when polio workers were attacked and Afghan border flare-ups. They support global unity (like the Gaza truce and Kashmir freedom) and connections like China’s “Iron Brotherhood” for working together in new ways. The Bhutto family keeps the memory alive by shouting out. Their style mixes factual facts with genuine regrets (“Sabr-e-Jameel”) and calls to action (“Let’s stand with them”). PPP is based on Bhuttoism, which is a mix of socialism and democracy. It helps those who are often ignored and fights dangers from outside. It makes them seem like a solid federal glue, putting Sindh’s triumphs in the context of bigger problems.

What PTI Says: Being Defiant and Playing the Victim PTI leader’s tweets from jail show that he is fighting against what he calls a “military-backed fascist regime.” , and calls for “haqiqi azadi,” or real freedom. Khan says that the people in charge made up false operations  and fraudulent cases against him and his wife Bushra Bibi. He talks about security instead of sending troops to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, blaming the government’s mistakes, such throwing away Afghan refugees, for making terrorism worse. The essence of PTI’s vibe is populist nationalism, which means turning the tables on elites and raising up the masses. It can make cracks bigger, but it keeps PTI’s fans interested with a lot of shares and likes.

JUI-F’s Voice: Belief and Fighting Back Against Imperialism JUI-F’s tweets focus on Muslim unity and fighting back, with a lot of talk about Palestine (ignoring US-Israeli plans and calling for rallies on Fridays) and praising deals between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as ways to protect holy sites. They  criticise violence against protestors at home, but they also promise to help Pakistan and Afghanistan settle their differences. The words have religious weight (“Haramain Sharifain,” Arabic parts) and urgency (“shameful mockery”), and they try to get the devout to join in. JUI-F is based on Deobandi Islamism and fights imperialism to change the balance of power in the world and strengthen religious groups. It adds faith to stories of opposition, connecting local problems to global ones. Security Official’s Line: Safety and Unbreakable Will.

The military talks through spokesman in a straightforward, non-political way about anti-terror operations (killing 17 or more terrorists in KP/Balochistan) and foreign support (India and Afghanistan fuelling “Fitna al Khwarij”). They honour troops’ “shahadat” and talk about how strong their country is, making losses feel more personal. Highlight soldiers valour  (“brave vigilance”), repeating “unwavering resolve” to make the point stronger. It makes nationalism stronger by using military might to frame threats as coming from outside the country and make heavy punches seem okay. The army is the best protector, and people only get the benefits.

The Call of Civil Society: Being responsible and standing out for rights HRCP, Amnesty South Asia, and journalists tweeted about abuses and holding those in power accountable approximately 100 times. Big problems include extrajudicial executions (more than 500 fights between police in Punjab), disappearances in Balochistan and KP, attacks on minorities (Ahmadiyya sites), and lethal violence at protests in AJK. They tear down government lies about journalists, media, and NGOs, blackouts, and harassment of journalists . Concerns include Afghan refugees’ health treatment during deportation scares, workers’ rights (Punjab Labour Code 2025), and changes to pensions that show how unfair things are. The Minorities Commission Bill and the calls for investigations into civilian deaths (the Tirah bombings) both call for openness and fairness. Tone is harsh and urgent (“deeply alarmed,” “strongly condemns”) and calls for action (“immediate inquiry,” “withdraw campaign”). Open letters and reports make it personal, which makes people feel sorry for them. Civil society fights for universal rights by putting the state on the spot and giving a voice to those who have been silenced. A few journalists attacks censorship and global tensions (the Afghan strikes and the Gaza agreement); few tears down local politics (the KP CM vote); and other attacks the PTI’s methods and military power. It starts large conversations with pleas for solidarity, making civil society the state’s stern watchdog. What is included in economic talk and how When you look more closely at the money side of things, the economic conversation seems spotty and primarily driven by the ruling party. Things like inflation, debt, investments, unemployment, poverty, GDP, and growth don’t come up very often—only six important tweets. It shows that security and politics are more important than economics, which is related to the “Economic Depth” issue . PML-N and PPP are the ones who are pushing for improvement and financial flow in a positive way. PML-N talks about how easy reforms and working together with other countries may help the economy expand. For example, SIFC and Punjab’s business hub offer “one-window approvals” and “zero startup time” to attract Saudis for “shared wins.” What about Shehbaz’s travel to Malaysia? A boost for trade, technology, education, and digital things. Thanks to Nawaz and Shehbaz, they celebrate high stock prices, low inflation, and admiration from throughout the world. Maryam said that anti-inflation teams (PERA Prime) catching hoarders is what keeps things stable. She calls Punjab “efficient and nimble.” PPP adds infrastructure aspirations, such a bullet train that cuts the time between Karachi and Hyderabad to 20 minutes, with 60–70% of the money coming from the government to “spark growth” and “mould tomorrow.” Opposition (PTI, JUI-F) and the military? Crickets on econ terminology, but PTI broadly criticises “ruin,” little investments, and quadrupled debt as indications of doom. Their silence makes it seem like they want to focus on arguments over repairs. HRCP gives civil society a voice by campaigning for “living wages” for workers in Karachi who are struggling with poor pay, bad housing, and food, health, and education problems. It sees economic problems as conflicts for rights and points out that contract jobs and insufficient protections are barriers to “lasting growth.” This is very different from what the rulers see from above. The rulers’ discourse about the economy is good, full of numbers (“record highs,” “60-70% invest”), and makes people feel hopeful and ready to work together. Civil society is urgently and sincerely focussing on problems. PML-N and PPP support state efforts that are good for business, saying they are credible because of the results. Civil society, on the other hand, points out the gaps. In general, it skips over in-depth looks at inflation, debt, and job searches, picking and choosing wins while avoiding larger problems like poverty caused by climate change.  A Closer Look at Where They Match and Split Security connects everyone: military ops logs, PPP/JUI-F attack slams/Afghan calls, PTI op knocks as backfiring, PML-N light enforcement nods, civics investigation demands on civvy hits/rights wrongs. China and Saudi Arabia are connected by diplomacy (PML-N, PPP, JUI-F, and military), and Gaza backups are connected through (PPP, JUI-F, PML-N, and civics groups like Amnesty). PML-N and PPP show off their wins, while PTI and JUI-F point out their shortcomings (amends, victimhood). Civics flag rights collapses. Econ displays ruler cheer vs. opp quiet/civic jabs; India adds world hustling. Fiery smashes are linked by words PML-N and PPP use positive stats, while PTI/JUI-F/civics use words like “fascism,” “fitna,” “cowardly,” and “alarmed.” Ideology: connections against imperialism PPP/JUI-F/ (India/Afghan/Israel); PTI populism goes against mil dom, while PML-N stability goes against it; civics accountability aligns with the opposition but gets bigger. Power plays: rulers (PML-N/PPP) push military stories; opposition (PTI/JUI-F) and civics change with appeals for responsibility and victimhood. There are different kinds of chats: PTI polarises for feelings, PML-N/PPP loyal-builds, JUI-F faith-widens, military facts-cred, and civics urgency-debates.  Pakistan’s overlapping (sec/diplo) issues disguise huge divides, which could lead to a stall. India’s mix of fair criticism and ambition lessons should help Pakistan tell fuller tales. In conclusion: Hope vs. Gloom, Gaps, and Fixes There is an obvious division between melancholy and hope when these voices are mixed. Opposition parties like PTI and JUI-F go dark. PTI is angry about grievances and sees “catastrophic” collapses like neighbour meltdowns, which pushes people to rebel. JUI-F is angry about injustices and calls for heavenly fight-back. Civics matches, worrying about state rights failing, too much (AJK fights, encounters), no accountability—showing a decreasing state grasp and routine wrongs. Gloom rallies bases by exposing flops but could widen rifts, create hopelessness, push away solution-seekers. The leaders of the PML-N and PPP are hopeful and talk about ideas for the future. The PML-N quickly grows and the PPP’s world-ranked aid shows actual progress and opens up diplomacy. Mil is sad about the losses but hopeful that the ops would “end the menace,” which fits with the stories of ruler unity. Mil’s story is basically the same as the rulers’ (terror outsourcing), but it differs from the opp/civic slams, which demonstrate power-opp lines. Hybrid: threats are bad, but action is good—strategies are clear: rulers are real if they prevail, and others are real if they fight back.

Big misses:

(1) Public/civic weave: civics are loud, but grassroots/media/NGO solution roles are skimming and elite-heavy.

(2) Econ deep: there aren’t any thorough talks about inflation, debt, or the climate (floods) beyond PML-N/PPP nums, even though they are very important. (3) Gender/inclusivity: not very good (PPP girl power, PML-N women leads, civics refugee difficulties) skips systemic.

(4) Party self-check: no one owns up to their mistakes; everyone is perfect.

(5) Cross-chat: no calls for peace, and the silos stay. Gaps scream “power grab” throughout complete build; ignoring them could make situations worse.

To fix things, here are some ideas:

1. Inclusive chat spots: Parties, the military, and civilians all debate about terror and the economy together in assemblies and think tanks. For example, the PTI/PML-N nonpartisan judicial transparency commission with HRCP involvement trimmed polar.

2. Change of plans: The PTI and JUI-F mix complaints with plans (KP sec blueprints) to get past the bad mood. Rulers (PML-N/PPP) give people hope by making civics rights part of government jobs and being responsible.

3 Civics team-up boost: The government and military work together to connect NGOs and journalists for investigations (disappearances) and X live talks. Make inclusivity and trust better;  offer civilian opinions to security news.

4 Hit missing parts: Stakeholders thread gender/econ; civics minority pushes. PEMRA makes sure that X cover is fair and that there are a lot of different voices.

5. Tools for digital unity: For all-side initiatives on climate, there are unified hashtags (#PakistanUnited). Teach politicians and activists how to use social media in a positive way and calm down the flames. These initiatives might turn Pakistan’s dispersed conversations into a single road to progress, lower the danger of instability, and use shared strengths to help the country prosper over time. Filling up the gaps could make the national story stronger in the future.