POLITENESS AS STATECRAFT: A MAXQDA-ASSISTED DISCOURSEPRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF NAWAZ SHARIF’S 71ST UNGA SPEECH

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive discourse-pragmatic analysis of the diplomatic address delivered by the  Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, at the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).  Utilizing MAXQDA computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software, the text was systematically categorized  using Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Theory to explore how a state representative navigates acute global and  regional complexities. The speech addresses key macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges, including multi polarity, shifting power dynamics, counter-terrorism strategies, and pressing regional crises, such as the situation  in Afghanistan and the Kashmir dispute. By operationalizing concepts of positive politeness, negative politeness,  and Bald-on-Record Face-Threatening Acts (FTAs), this paper examines how diplomatic language balances the  preservation of international rapport with the assertive articulation of national security concerns. The findings  suggest that politeness strategies serve as a vital mechanism of statecraft, allowing sovereign states to voice  dissent and demand justice without structurally jeopardizing diplomatic harmony.