Wah Academia Journal of Social Sciences

Snow as Witness: Winter, Silence, and the Ethics of Seeing Kashmir

Dr. Rafia Rehman — 2026-03-29

Winter in Kashmir is not just about the cold. It feels like this quiet time where everything slows down and you start remembering stuff from before. Especially with all the violence that’s happened there. The snow comes every year and covers the Valley like it’s trying to start over or something. People always show snow in nice pictures or stories, making it seem pretty and far off. But living through it is different, more real I guess. This paper wants to look at Kashmiri winter another way. Not just weather or something to look at. Snow witnesses a lot, like it covers everything materially and shows up in stories and traditions too. And ethically, it changes how we notice things around us. When the whole place gets buried, it becomes this waiting area where people are patient and feel connected somehow. It's like its keeping track of history that isn't written down or fully gotten in an ethical way. Not stored in archives right either. I think it pulls from environmental humanities and phenomenology. Also, cultural memory and how we perceive things ethically. To understand why winter has its own way of seeing and staying alive. That goes against just staring at stuff for show, like consuming it visually. Instead, it makes you pay real attention, be humble, take some responsibility. Explaining that part is messy, it feels like. Reading about winter as an archive or silence being present in its own way. And waiting as this in between time. Snow isn’t background at all. It’s part of how Kashmiris think about their culture. Some might see it like that, others probably miss it. Outlining a teaching way for winter adds to what people study about seasons and environmental ethics. Gives another angle on Kashmir, not just as a spectacle to watch. I might be oversimplifying here, but yeah, that’s the main idea sort of.

Understanding the Drivers of Mass Protests in Nigeria: A Case Study of the August 2024 #End Bad Governance Protest

Dr. Ahmed Babatunde Adeosun — 2026-03-29

The protests against poor governance in Nigeria in August 2024 mark a significant milestone in the country's ongoing pursuit of responsible governance and fair development. This study aims to elucidate the various factors that triggered these widespread demonstrations, encompassing economic, political, and social aspects. By examining the historical background, current socio-economic realities, and the influence of youth activism alongside civil society efforts, the study highlights key issues, including high unemployment rates, rising inflation, widespread corruption, weaknesses in democracy, security threats, and governmental repression. The findings indicate that, although the immediate causes of the protests may vary, deep-rooted structural problems like poor governance and systemic inequality lie at the core of ongoing public dissatisfaction. The study advocates for comprehensive reforms centered on economic recovery, political accountability, improved security measures, and inclusive civic participation. Understanding these dynamics enables stakeholders to develop more effective strategies to address public grievances and foster a fairer and more prosperous Nigeria.

A case study of Nenmeni Rural Water Supply Scheme, Wayanad district, Kerala, India: The Pursuit for Sustainability, Equity and Inclusion

P. K. Kurian — 2026-03-29

The concept of sustainability gained prominence in development discourse following the publication of ‘The Limits to Growth’ (Meadows et al., 1972) and ‘Our Common Future’ (WCED, 1987). Since then, debates on sustainability have expanded beyond environmental concerns to include social and economic dimensions. Ensuring the sustainability of rural water supply system has consequently become a major global challenge. This paper presents a qualitative, longitudinal case study of the Nenmeni Rural Water Supply Scheme (NRWSS), a medium-sized, community-managed rural water supply system in Wayanad district, Kerala, India. Using participatory chronicling from inception to the present, the study examines how NRWSS expanded from 727 house service connections in 2007 to over 5,100 connections by 2025 under the management of a community-based organization. The findings demonstrate how sustainability has been pursued as a central objective through equity and inclusion, cost recovery, professionalized community management, and institutional adaptation over time. The study contributes to global debates on sustainable rural water governance by illustrating how community-managed systems can sustain service delivery while addressing both resource and methodological challenges.

Assessing the Role of Foreign Institutional Investor Outflows in Triggering Systemic Declines in the Indian Stock Market

Dr. Pooja Gupta — 2026-03-29

This empirical study investigates whether outflows of Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) act as a significant catalyst for systemic declines in the Indian stock market. Utilizing secondary quantitative data on FII net flows alongside major index movements (Sensex and Nifty 50), the research assesses patterns between FII withdrawal periods and market downturns over recent years. The study adopts statistical correlation analysis, temporal comparisons, and volatility measures to examine the extent to which FII outflows coincide with negative market trends. Preliminary findings indicate a significant association between sustained FII outflows and declines in broad market indices, although causality is not unidirectional—domestic institutional investors (DIIs) and other macroeconomic factors also play mitigating roles.

Exploring the Influence of Teacher–Student Relationships on Learning Outcomes: An Empirical Study

Mita Sahu — 2026-03-29

Teacher–student relationships have long been recognized as a critical factor shaping learners’ academic and developmental trajectories. This study investigates the extent to which relational dimensions—namely teacher support, communication quality, emotional connectedness, and classroom interaction—affect learning outcomes among school students. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected from 250 respondents through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability and validity measures, correlation analysis, and hypothesis testing. The results reveal that all components of teacher–student relationships exhibit significant and positive associations with learning outcomes, with classroom interaction and teacher support emerging as the strongest predictors. Findings further indicate that a supportive and communicative classroom climate enhances student engagement, motivation, and academic performance. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by empirically establishing the multidimensional influence of relational factors on learning effectiveness, thereby addressing gaps pertaining to holistic interactional models in the educational context. Practical implications highlight the need for teacher training programs that emphasize relational competence, as well as institutional policies that foster emotionally inclusive and communicative classroom environments. Overall, the research reinforces the centrality of strong teacher–student relationships in promoting meaningful and sustainable learning outcomes.

The Role of Impact Investing in Shaping CSR Efforts

Dr. Santanu Kumar Das — 2026-03-29

Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) has no longer been just philanthropies but has to be tactical according to the business interests and contribution to the society. The principle of impact investing to receive measurable social and environmental outputs and financial outcomes has an increasingly significant influence on the design and practice of the CSR policies of corporations. The current paper explores the role of impact investing in developing CSR initiatives, the impact of socially oriented investments on the corporate policy, the relationships between the stakeholders, and the sustainable development programs. The study will apply a mixed-method approach that will combine the results of surveys on managers working in a corporate institution and case studies concerning the best companies to identify the predominant drivers, issues and the outcomes of incorporating impact investing in CSR. The findings reveal that those companies that engage in impact investing are more effective in CSR, they have trusted stakeholders, and sustainable development objectives. The study is applicable to those corporate managers, policymakers and investors who would desire the social impact to be maximized through CSR.

The Impact of AI-Driven Financial Solutions on Financial Inclusion in Rural India

Snigdha Priyadarshini — 2026-03-29

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming financial services, offering innovative solutions to enhance financial inclusion, particularly in underserved rural areas. This study investigates the impact of AI-driven financial solutions on financial inclusion in rural India, focusing on the roles of AI-based credit assessment, AI-powered interfaces, and AI-driven personalization. The research also examines the mediating effect of trust and the influence of ethical concerns on adoption and service usage. A quantitative approach was employed, using structured questionnaires administered to 350 rural users of AI-enabled financial platforms. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, reliability and validity testing, correlation, regression, and mediation analysis using trust as a mediator. The findings reveal that AI-driven financial solutions significantly enhance financial inclusion by improving access, usability, and personalized financial services. Trust was found to partially mediate the relationship between AI adoption and inclusion, while ethical concerns negatively influenced trust. The study underscores the importance of ethical governance, transparency, and user-centric design in promoting effective AI-enabled financial inclusion. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, financial institutions, and FinTech providers aiming to leverage AI for sustainable and inclusive rural development.

Impact of Multidisciplinary Approach of NEP 2020 on Commerce Education: An Empirical Study

Dr Ranjeet Bahadur Singh — 2026-03-29

The New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 marks a paradigm shift in Indian higher education by promoting a multidisciplinary and holistic approach to learning. Commerce education, traditionally discipline-bound and theory-oriented, is expected to undergo significant transformation under this policy. The present empirical study examines the impact of the multidisciplinary approach of NEP 2020 on commerce education with special reference to academic performance, skill development, and employability of students. Primary data were collected from 420 commerce students and 45 faculty members of selected higher education institutions through structured questionnaires and interviews. Statistical tools such as percentage analysis, mean, standard deviation, and t-test were applied for data analysis. The findings reveal that multidisciplinary exposure has a significant positive impact on students’ academic achievement, critical thinking, communication skills, and employability. The study concludes that the multidisciplinary framework of NEP 2020 has the potential to make commerce education more flexible, relevant, and industry-oriented, provided effective implementation and adequate faculty training are ensured.

Advancing Gender Equality through Constitutional Guarantees: A Study of Sri Lanka’s Provisions and Gaps

V. S. Suriyabandara — 2026-03-29

Gender equality is a fundamental principle recognize in the constitution of Sri Lanka through guarantees of equality and non-discrimination. Sri Lanka has also committed to international human rights standards promoting gender equality. Research problem is Why have Sri Lanka’s constitutional guarantees failed to fully achieve gender equality in practice? The main purpose of writing this research paper is to examine how far Sri Lanka’s constitutional guarantees promote gender equality and to identify the gaps that limit their effective implementation in practice. And also sub purposes are to examine the constitutional provisions of Sri Lanka that guarantee gender equality and non -discrimination, to analyze judicial interpretations and case law relating to gender equality under the constitution and to identify gaps, limitations in constitutional protections affecting women’s rights and to assess the impact of personal laws and customary practices on the realization of gender equality. The writing this paper uses qualitative method. Under the qualitative method using literature resources for this. Specially analysis technique based on previous researchers’ findings. Theoretical frame work related with feminism and gender politics. Unequal representation, unequal family laws, pervasive gender-based violence, and labor market inequities. These findings can be identified regarding, why have Sri Lanka’s constitutional guarantees failed to fully achieve gender equality in practice under the research problem.

Separation of Powers and Executive Overreach Case Studies from Post-1978 Sri Lanka

S.V. Kannangara — 2026-03-29

Since the adoption of the 1978 Constitution, Sri Lanka’s constitutional order has been defined by a strong executive presidency coexisting with a sovereign legislature and a judiciary tasked with protecting the rule of law. While constitutional text recognizes the separation of powers, successive governments have frequently relied on emergency rule, constitutional amendment, executive discretion over parliamentary processes, and appointment powers to expand presidential authority. This article examines how executive overreach has tested Sri Lanka’s constitutional equilibrium through five emblematic post-1978 case studies: (i) emergency regulations during the 1983–1993 period; (ii) constitutional amendments affecting independent checks from 2001–2020; (iii) the 2018 constitutional crisis surrounding the dismissal of the Prime Minister and the floor test; (iv) the use of regulatory powers during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (v) executive assertions during the 2022 economic crisis. Across these episodes, the analysis highlights recurring weaknesses: the breadth of discretion in emergency and regulatory frameworks, the vulnerability of independent commissions to constitutional reversal, and Parliament’s fluctuating capacity to perform oversight under party majorities and dissolution threats. The article also maps the judiciary’s evolving posture from early deference toward more assertive interventions, particularly in 2018, and evaluates the role of civil society and media as extra-institutional checks. It concludes with targeted reform proposals to entrench appointments independence, tighten emergency safeguards, clarify prime ministerial tenure mechanics, and strengthen parliamentary scrutiny so that crisis governance does not become a routine route to executive consolidation.

A Model Based Study: War's Consequences on Global Supply Chain Manipulating Developing Nations' Trading Pattern

Shibaji Mitra — 2026-03-29

This paper uses a 3-sector theoretical model extending Jones 1971 model for a developing nation assuming that it is a small open economy which is not a part of war but a major trading partner of both the countries in conflict. However, geopolitical alliances generating from common interests, creates pressure on countries to be involved in the war in some way or the other. Usually, developing nations bear the brunt of war whether they are involved in it or not. War has caused and is causing both social and economic disturbance since the evolution of human kind. It affects the modern economy differently than it had affected the primitive economy when mankind was not fully evolved. Every war in history has affected the global economy either partially or completely. War is a shock that creates disruptions in worldwide trade pattern. This model reflects the effect of changes in the supply chain caused by war which is a shock component in the model. Changes in supply chain are accompanied by changes in price and output level. The manufacturing sector, in the model, imports intermediate inputs from the nations at war. Due to the existing scenario of the war there is an alteration in the price of the intermediate inputs, which changes the price of the finished product produced in the manufacturing sector. These finished products are exportable from the point of view of the developing nation producing it. These price changes lead to a total change in trade volume. This model shows the change in price of intermediate inputs during war situation which can be extended for war that has taken place in the real world. Data showing change in trade volume for different intermediate importable goods during the war period are used to describe the conclusion driven from the study. In order to attain social and economic stability it is essential to restore peace. Historically, it has been proven that war is inevitable. Developing nations bear the burden while the global superpowers reap benefits from the situation specifically in terms of trade, slowing down the growth and development of the developing countries.

The Democracy and Ethnicity Question in Commonwealth African Countries: A Case Study of Nigeria's Situation

Olakunle Michael Folami — 2026-03-29

In Nigeria, as in many Commonwealth African countries, ethnic identity plays a significant role in shaping the democratic landscape. This influence is evident in voting patterns, the formation of the national assembly, the distribution of economic resources and power, and the selection of the nation's president. Various efforts have been made to develop a democratic culture among Nigeria, such as changing the national anthem, establishing the National Orientation Agency, creating an electoral tribunal, and reintroducing history into the education curriculum. However, these initiatives have not succeeded in promoting culture of democracy among Nigerians. This study aims to examine why ethnicity is prioritized over democratic culture Nigeria, understand how ethnicity inhibits democratic development. It seeks to suggest how ethnicity can connect with democratic culture in Nigeria. Recognition Theory has been adopted in this study to position ethnicity as a constructive factor in democratic development. The study employed a qualitative method for data collection, conducting in-depth interviews with participants purposefully selected from six regions of Nigeria: Northeast, North Central, Southwest, South-South, and Southeast. The findings indicate that while democracy embodies principles of constitutionalism, liberalism, and collective participation, ethnicity fosters divisions, nepotism, unrest, and unhealthy competition. The study concludes that to promote democratic development, it is essential to connect ethnicity with the advancement of democracy, the growth of secularism, and the reduction of religious, ethnic and sub ethnic, and clannish tensions, along with fostering industrialization and improved communication in Commonwealth African countries.

Reconfiguring Emotional Values through Technology: A Critical Reading of Technocracy in Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Sania Afzal — 2026-03-30

The lives of game designers navigating love, friendship, creativity, and grief in a world driven by technology and success metrics will be examined in this study, which is based on Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (2022). This study uses Max Weber's theory of technocratic rationalization to analyze the book, emphasizing how systems that value efficiency, calculation, and quantifiable results frequently ignore emotional values. The characters Sadie and Sam in particular—create games that capture profound human emotions, but they are confined to a society where value is determined by downloads, sales, and ratings. By emphasizing the ethical, artistic, and emotional aspects of creation, this study seeks to demonstrate how Zevin challenges contemporary technocratic culture. By using this perspective, the book becomes a reflection on how society strikes a balance between technological advancement and emotional depth in addition to being a story of love and loss. This study assesses the risks of disregarding emotional values in a data-driven world using Weber's theoretical framework.

From FIR to Failure: How Criminal Prosecutions Lose Credibility Between Registration of Case and Judgment

Shabana Nawaz Bajwa — 2026-03-29

The First Information Report (FIR) is envisaged as the procedural gateway through which criminal justice is set into motion in Pakistan. Despite its centrality, criminal prosecutions initiated through FIRs frequently culminate in acquittals, hostile witnesses, compromised trials, or findings of benefit of doubt. This article undertakes a comprehensive socio-legal and doctrinal examination of the gradual erosion of prosecutorial credibility between FIR registration and final judgment. It interrogates how FIRs are routinely misused as instruments of coercion, extorting monetary benefits, and elite bargaining; how police structured prosecutions undermine evidentiary integrity; and how prosecutorial marginalization, investigative bias, and systematic corruption collectively distort the criminal process. Anchored in constitutional principles, statutory interpretation, and authoritative judicial precedents, particularly the Lahore High Court’s seminal observation in 2025 MLD 1879 (Sumera Rasheed v The State and others), the study argues that prosecutorial failure in Pakistan is not incidental but structurally engineered. The article proposes that without institutional realignment, accountability mechanisms, and prosecutorial empowerment, criminal law will continue to serve private power rather than public justice.

On Agreement in Urdu Internally Headed and Externally Headed Relative Clauses

Qaisar Jabbar — 2026-03-30

Agreement in Urdu relative clauses remained scholarly consideration, particularly whether the structures of internally headed relative clauses (IHRCs) and externally headed relative clauses (EHRCs) differ with respect to number, gender, person, and case. As Aldridge’s (2017) Raising Model predicts uniformity of agreement across clause types and agreement is constrained by the syntactic raising of the nominal head (No). For this, the study employed a mixed-methods and gathered 40 Urdu relative clauses (n=20 IHRCs, n=20 EHRCs) and analyzed statistically using JASP and Raising Model (Aldridge, 2017) which predicts different agreement features—number, gender, person, and case encoded agreement. The analysis reveals the mean agreement scores are moderate (M = 2.50, SD = 1.13). Outcomes of independent samples t tests show no significant differences between IHRCs and EHRCs across any feature (p > .05). Effect sizes were negligible, confirming the absence of meaningful variation. The findings also exhibit that agreement in Urdu relative clauses is stable across clause types, supporting Aldridge’s Raising Model (2017). This suggests that agreement is secured through syntactic raising rather than conditioned by clause head position, contributing empirical evidence to theoretical accounts of South Asian syntax.

Minority Voice in Media: A Study of Self-Esteem and Alienation in the Christian Community in Pakistan

Dr. Noor Hayat — 2026-03-29

The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of invisibility of Christian Community on mainstream television channels on self-esteem of the Christian Community. For the mainstream media in Pakistan, the Christian community is an undervalued and unimportant group. They hardly receive any attention except little coverage at the time of Christmas or for blasphemy incidents. In this study, the survey method was employed. A convenient sample of 200 members of the Christian community were taken from Lahore. The questionnaire measured the sense of alienation and low self-esteem amongst minorities through 5 item Likert type survey Items. This is a novel study as most studies on minorities done previously deal with majority’s negative perception of minorities due to biased coverage of minorities by media. But this study deals with minority’s self-perception as a result of marginalization by media. The findings suggest that when media do not speak up for minorities as they are persecuted and falsely accused in false blasphemy cases, they feel isolated and abandoned. And there is virtually no cultural representation of minorities on the mainstream television channels.

Understanding the Significance of Forensic Linguistics and Its Application in Legal Context

Javed Iqbal — 2026-03-29

Forensic linguistics studies the language used in legal settings, including courtroom discourse, translation and interpretation, and the intelligibility of legal texts and documents. This study undertakes a library-based investigation into the significance and application of forensic linguistics within legal contexts. Drawing upon secondary sources, it explores the evolving interdisciplinary field that bridges language and the legal system. This research identifies key areas of forensic linguistic application, including the interpretation of legal texts, authorship attribution, and the analysis of courtroom discourse and linguistic evidence. Furthermore, it examines the perceived value and limitations of forensic linguistic expertise from the perspectives of both legal professionals and linguistic scholars. Finally, this study considers the contribution of the interdisciplinary nature of forensic linguistics, encompassing various linguistic branches and related fields, to a more comprehensive understanding and resolution of language-related legal issues. The findings aim to enhance awareness of the crucial role of forensic linguistics in ensuring justice and clarity within the legal framework, highlighting areas for future research and inter-professional collaboration.

Language Endangerment: A case study of Gawarbati, Kalasha and Yadgha languages of Chitral

Fakhruddin Akhunzada — 2026-03-29

Chitral valley, located in the country's extreme north, is Pakistan's linguistically diverse region. The half-million population of the valley is divided into 12 language groups belong to different language families. The number of speakers of some of these languages is decreasing. The speakers are shifting to Khowar, the lingua franca of Chitral, and Pashto, another major language spoken in the region. This paper examines the endangered status of the Gawarbati, Yadgha, and Kalasha languages in the valley, as well as the contributing factors to their endangerment. The main causes are intermarriages, lack of writing system; language and education policy, the speaker's attitude towards their mother tongue, contacts and interactions with others; Kalasha religion; the speaker's livelihood; war, and migration. This research employs a mixed-methods methodology for data collection, incorporating case studies as well as information obtained through participant observation, literature review, and informal interviews conducted with the speakers of the languages.

Role of Instagram Beauty Influencers in Shaping Body Image and False Consciousness among Female University Students

Maha Aejaz — 2026-03-29

Instagram being the popular social media platform has drastically changed the way people see beauty, femininity, and self-worth within contemporary digital culture. This study examines the role of Instagram beauty influencers in shaping body image and false consciousness among female university students in Pakistan. The research investigates how exposure to influencer content through reels, stories, pictures, and highlights, affects women’s perceptions about themselves, consumer motivations, and awareness of unrealistic beauty ideals, by using Cultivation Theory, Social Comparison Theory and Socio-Cultural Theory as base. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted to 300 female students from the University of Sargodha and the University of the Punjab, Lahore. Data were analyzed using demographic, statistical and descriptive analysis. Results showed that higher exposure to influencer content, especially dynamic formats like reels and stories significantly increases body dissatisfaction and self-comparison tendencies. Younger respondents (18–25 years) reported greater insecurity as compared to the older participants, while education and residence had negligible effects, suggesting that influencer culture operates across demographic boundaries. Respondents also demonstrated opposite views simultaneously, admiring influencer beauty while recognizing its unattainable nature. The findings underscore Instagram’s pervasive influence as both a cultural and psychological force, reinforcing appearance-driven identities and consumption patterns. The study stresses that media literacy is need of the hour to mitigate the internalization of harmful beauty ideals among young women in digital Pakistan.

Constructing Political Persona via Jokes in Pakistan: A Thematic Analysis

Myrta Amir — 2026-03-29

Jokes and humor play a vital role in contribution to construct political persona. Besides providing entertainment and amusement, these also depict social and political issues. Political jokes are not only funny or witty remarks but a part of cultural text which inform us about the political issues of the society. This study uses constructivist-interpretivist paradigm (Guba and Lincoln, 1994) and focuses on Michael Billig’s Theory of Humor and Ridicule (2005). The research uses inductive reasoning and qualitative research method. Political jokes were collected from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram in the period from January 2023 to June 2025. The collected Political jokes were analyzed by using thematic analysis of Braun and Clarke (2006). The analysis of jokes reveals that Political humor in Pakistan is not only use to entertain people but it also reflects the frustration, emotions, and disappointment of people on the politicians. These jokes not only make people laugh but they carry deeper meanings and act as social dialogue. The study also highlighted different traits of political leaders in Pakistan depicted through jokes and humor. Humor act as a way of political education for public. Also, these jokes act as a tool through which people build identities of politicians by combining their thoughts, observation and situation in which they live.

Analysis of Compradors in Coetzee’s Waiting for the Barbarians and Kureishi’s London and Karachi

Safeer Hussain — 2026-03-29

This paper analyzes two texts: J. M. Coetzee’s novel Waiting for the Barbarians and Hanif Kureishi’s short story "London and Karachi" for their representation of comprador characters. The concept of the comprador, which represents intermediaries and tools of the empire, serves as the main theoretical lens. A close reading and thematic analysis of the texts compares how both texts portray such characters and their complicity with the imperial project of violence, domination, and control. The paper analyzes that Coetzee’s text deals with an allegorical empire, whereas Hanif’s short story presents post-independence Pakistan in a neo-colonial situation of subjugation. It concludes that Coetzee’s comprador character acknowledges his complicity and tries to make amends, whereas the limited scope of the short story does not let Kureishi develop the comprador characters to the full extent. The analysis of these texts helps us identify and understand such characters in the history of post-colonial nations and the literary representation of such histories.

Rewriting Women: Media, Literature, and the Evolution of Female Representation in Pakistan

Sidra Javed — 2026-03-29

Different narratives are formed and reformed about women in Pakistan, with the passage of time. These narratives portray fixed identities and roles of women in Pakistan. Newspapers, editorials and articles play an important role in shaping these narratives and raising issues about women through their specific use of vocabulary and linguistic choices. This research aims to study how a major Pakistani newspaper, “DAWN” (Lahore) represents point of view about women in its articles from January 2024 to January 2025. Through this archival analysis of newspaper, the research also provides an insight into the historical and cultural impact on the role of the media and literature in addressing issues and identities of women. Also, other than these journalistic discourses, the research looks into some scripts from literature for supporting reference. Overall, through a feminist approach and Hayden White’s historical lens, the study focuses on the evolution of women’s representation in Pakistani literature written in different forms. The research finally tries to present whether journalistic discourse is a neutral portrayal or a biased perspective about women in society.

Polarization in Discourse: A Socio-Cognitive Discourse Analysis of Trump’s Presidential Bid Announcement Speech for 2024 Elections

Khadija — 2026-03-29

The current study emphasizes the importance of understanding political discourse as an effective means for shaping social cognition and justifying political authority. It deals with how Trump uses the ideological positioning of “Us versus Them” in the 2022 Presidential Bid Speech to create political polarization and legitimize his 2024 campaign. Using Van Dijk’s Socio-cognitive Approach and the Ideological Square Model (1998, 2000a) for data analysis, the study reveals how Trump promotes positive portrayal of Republicans as patriotic Americans while negatively depicting Democrats, particularly, Biden and his administration. Such polarization is accomplished using macro propositional and super-structural strategies, such as national self-glorification, blames, comparisons, victimization, and hyperbole, which is maintained by microstructural elements such as strategic use of language: pronouns, modal verbs, repetition, and crisis-driven metaphors. The findings reveal that such discursive patterns use cognitive representations of both inclusion and exclusion to shape public perception and reinforce ideological control.

Evaluating the Efficacy of Blended Learning on EFL Writing Achievement: A Quasi-Experimental Study in a Pakistani Secondary School

Khursheed Ahmad Khan — 2026-03-29

This study investigated the impact of Blended Learning (BL) on the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing achievement of secondary school students in Pakistan. Utilizing a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design, 80 students from two intact Grade 10 sections were divided into an Experimental Group (n=40), receiving blended instruction via Google Classroom and face-to-face sessions, and a Control Group (n=40), receiving traditional instruction. Data were collected using standardized writing tests and analyzed through independent and paired samples t-tests. Findings indicated that the Experimental Group significantly outperformed the Control Group in the post-test with the highest gains observed in organizational structure and grammatical accuracy. The study concludes that integrating digital platforms into the traditional Pakistani EFL classroom enhances writing proficiency more effectively than conventional methods.

An Exploration of Code-Mixing Types: A Study of Doctor-Patient Interaction

Aneela Habib — 2026-03-29

Communication between doctors and patients plays a crucial role in ensuring effective diagnosis, treatment, and patient satisfaction. In multilingual societies such as Pakistan, interactions in healthcare settings frequently involve the mixing of languages, particularly Urdu and English. This study explores the phenomenon of code-mixing in doctor–patient conversations and examines the types and motivations behind its use. Adopting a qualitative research approach, the study analyzes ten audio-recorded interactions between doctors and patients at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad. The conversations were transcribed and examined using Muysken’s (2000) typology of code-mixing, which includes insertion, alternation, and congruent lexicalization. The findings reveal that insertion is the most dominant form of code-mixing in medical discourse, followed by alternation and congruent lexicalization. The analysis further shows that code-mixing occurs due to several communicative motivations, including discussing specific medical topics, lexical gaps, emphasis, clarification, and group identity. The study highlights that code-mixing often facilitates communication in bilingual medical settings, although it may also influence patient comprehension depending on linguistic familiarity. By providing a sociolinguistic perspective on healthcare communication, this research contributes to a better understanding of language practices in medical discourse and emphasizes the importance of effective linguistic strategies in doctor–patient interactions.

Syntactic Structure of Noun Phrases in Urdu and English

Fatima Ikram — 2026-03-29

This research paper investigates the syntactic properties and patterns of noun phrases (NPs) in Urdu and English, focusing on pre-modification and agreement. Using a qualitative descriptive approach and the X-bar theory as a theoretical framework, the study compares the structures of NPs in both languages. Both Urdu and English utilize articles, demonstratives, possessives, numerals/quantifiers, adjectives, and nouns as pre-modifiers in NPs. However, there are notable distinctions in terms of agreement and inflection. While English demonstrates agreement between demonstratives and the number of the noun they modify, Urdu does not exhibit such agreement. Urdu possessive pronouns inflect based on gender, while English possessives remain consistent regardless of gender or number. Adjectives in Urdu inflect for gender and number, whereas English adjectives do not change form based on the noun they modify. Overall, this research contributes to the understanding of noun phrase structures in Urdu and English. The study also highlights the need for further research in post-modification, case marking, and word order within noun phrases in both languages.

Institutional Thresholds, Multidimensional SDG Performance, and the Structural Determinants of Development Gaps in Sub-Saharan Africa

Tidiane Guindo — 2026-03-29

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains the most off-track region for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), yet existing analyses rarely examine how institutional quality conditions the effectiveness of structural drivers across multiple SDG dimensions simultaneously. This study investigates the institutional threshold effects that determine whether economic growth, human capital investment, infrastructure expansion, and financial development translate into measurable SDG progress across 25 SSA economies over the period 2000-2023. Employing a panel threshold regression framework alongside fixed-effects and system-GMM estimations, we identify a governance quality threshold below which structural investments yield negligible SDG gains - a trap that affects 17 of 25 sample countries.

Bots with Bias: Gender-Indexed Politeness in AI Chatbot Outputs

Maliha Kalsoom — 2026-03-29

Human communication has also grown beyond face to face and computer-based interaction to include communication with machines with the fast development of conversational artificial intelligence. Such a change has brought up an issue regarding the way in which chatbots formulate politeness, interpersonal tone, and gendered linguistic behavior. The literature has discussed the bias against gender in AI systems, politeness in human-AI interaction, and how AI training data affect stereotypical responses, but there is a relative paucity of studies that explicitly compare the linguistic response of AI chatbots to male-coded and female-coded users. This paper fills that gap by examining lexical, pragmatic, and politeness-based differences in responses that were produced by various versions of ChatGPT. Based on the Politeness Theory by Brown and Levinson (1987) and the Gender and Language theory by Holmes (1995), the study will examine the hypothesis on whether AI replicates gender tendencies in positive/negative politeness, mitigation, hedging, and conversational style. Qualitative design was applied in which gender-coded prompts were then entered into ChatGPT and the results analyzed using word-frequency, contextual interpretation, and thematic comparison with politeness-marketing coded responses. The results demonstrate apparent differences: prompts marked as male were approached more directly, more concisely, and task-focused, whereas prompts marked as female tend to get much warmer and richer in detail, including more occurrences of positive politeness and indirectness. These tendencies imply that AI chatbots fail to assume an apolitical communicative position but rather reflect culturally transmit-ted gender standards that are represented in their training material. This research paper will add to sociolinguistic literature on non-human communicators and will indicate the necessity of more equitable, stereotype-free AI language systems.

Exploring the Mechanism Adopted by Schools to Deal with Disrupted Learning Challenges

Sawera Saddique — 2026-03-30

This study explores the mechanism adopted by schools to deal with disrupted learning challenges during unexpected closures. It took a particular focus on the mechanism of learning continuity during crisis by the head teachers and teachers of the public and the private secondary schools. An exploratory qualitative research design was adopted. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and field notes from 36 participants, including 12 head teachers and 24 teachers from 12 public and private secondary schools in Sargodha district. The participants were chosen by using convenience sampling. The data collected were subjected to the manual thematic analysis to determine patterns and variation of responses by the participants. The results were that the schools tended to employ informal and reactive processes when dealing with disrupted learning. Communication through WhatsApp was the most common strategy that was reported as used in the process of keeping in touch with students with structured online learning systems being used infrequently. It was also revealed in the findings that formal crisis management policies, systematic assessment practices, teacher training and psychosocial support systems were lacking. The situation was more restrained in the public schools as they had fewer digital resources and the private schools were even slightly better digital prepared, but still, they lacked the well-structured crisis response systems. The study concludes that secondary schools require formal guidelines, improved digital infrastructure, professional training for teachers, and institutional crisis preparedness systems to ensure learning continuity during future disruptions.

The Contribution of Immigrants to the Portuguese Economy: An Analytical Study

Barrister Dr. Anwar Baig — 2026-03-30

The paper presents a detailed analysis of the impact of immigration on the Portuguese economy, using macroeconomic, labor market, and econometric analysis to create a complete picture. The analysis is based on panel and microdata from various sources, including Statistics Portugal (INE), Eurostat, and the Labour Force Survey, covering the period 2010-2024. The paper estimates the impact of immigration on employment, wages, productivity, and public finances. The study has addressed endogeneity concerns by using fixed effects and instrumental variable regressions with shift-share instruments. The study has addressed endogeneity concerns by using fixed effects and instrumental variable regressions with shift-share instruments.

Signing Insights: Developing a Computational Prototype for Pakistani Sign Language Analysis

Umaima Khalid — 2026-03-30

Sign languages are a vital means of communication for the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, yet they remain under-explored in linguistic research, particularly in Pakistan. This study presents the development of a computational prototype for analyzing Pakistani Sign Language (PSL), focusing on its syntactic and prosodic features. We employ a multimodal approach, integrating corpus linguistics and machine learning techniques to identify patterns in PSL. Our prototype enables the automatic recognition and analysis of PSL signs, providing insights into the language's structure and usage. The findings of this research have implications for language teaching, learning, and accessibility technologies. This study demonstrates the potential of computational methods to advance our understanding of sign languages and promote inclusivity.

Order and Chaos: The Pastoral Ideal and the Chaotic Wild in Kesar- the Son of god

Muhammad Naseem — 2026-03-30

The paper studies the Balti epic Kesar – The Son of God from an ecocritical perspective using the conceptual tropes of the Pastoral and the Wilderness proposed by Greg Garrard (2004). Despite the vast literature devoted to this epic in terms of its folklore and historical aspects, this paper seeks to fill the current knowledge gap concerning its ecological imagination. Through the textual analysis of the epic collected by Abbas Kazmi, the paper demonstrates how the “Old World” wilderness is represented as an unruly and monstrous place of test that needs to be mastered for ensuring collective existence. On the other hand, the pastoral world is shown to be not an innocent and harmonious nature but a precarious socio-political order sustained by ethical management and work. Thus, by bringing Balti indigenous mythology into dialogue with modern environmental thought, the paper emphasizes the timeless wisdom contained in the epic about human-land relations.

Weaponization of Social Media Algorithms: Computational Propaganda, Manufactured Consent, and the Subversion of Democratic Communication

Dr. Taha Shabbir — 2026-03-30

Social media platforms have fundamentally restructured the architecture of public communication by routing information through proprietary algorithmic systems designed to maximise user engagement. These systems, originally conceived as neutral tools for content discovery, have been systematically exploited by state actors, political operatives, commercial interests, and extremist organisations to manufacture consent, amplify disinformation, suppress dissent, and polarise publics. This paper examines the weaponization of social media algorithms as a multi-dimensional phenomenon encompassing computational propaganda, coordinated inauthentic behaviour, micro-targeted political advertising, and algorithmic radicalisation. Drawing on political communication theory, platform studies, critical data studies, and documented case evidence from multiple geopolitical contexts, the paper argues that algorithmic weaponization constitutes a structural threat to democratic communication that cannot be resolved by content moderation alone. The analysis interrogates the political economy of attention-maximising platforms, the technical mechanisms through which algorithms are exploited, the role of disinformation actors ranging from troll farms to nation-state intelligence agencies, and the asymmetric vulnerabilities of developing democracies including Pakistan. The paper concludes by proposing an integrated framework of platform regulation, algorithmic transparency, civic literacy, and international coordination as necessary conditions for reclaiming the democratic potential of networked communication.