War on Terror, Securitisation: A Critical Analysis of Pashtun Representation in Post-2001 Pakistani Cinema
Contributors
- Sajid Ullah M.Phil. Scholar, Broadcast Journalism and Media Studies, Department of Film and Broadcasting, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
- Raza Ullah Khan M.Phil. Scholar, National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
- Laiq Ur Rahman LLM Scholar, College of Law, Government College University, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan, Pakistan.
Abstract
This study will critically analyze the representation of Pashtun identity in Pakistani films that were made since 2001 when Pashtun dominated areas of Pakistan became the focus of the national security debates by the presence of Pakistan in the War on Terror. Based on the theory of securitisation, Hall's theory of representation, and the concept of Othering by Said, the study focuses on three films purposively selected because they clearly address the issues of terrorism, militancy and national security namely Khuda Kay Liye, 2007, Waar, 2013, and Yalghaar, 2017. The study employs a qualitative design, repeated viewing of the film and reflexive thematic analysis of the results; codes: characterisation, dialogue, language and accent, costume, setting, visual symbolism and narrative structure. Five themes were elaborated, namely: the construction of Pashtun identity as indicated by cultural and geographic markers; securitisation of Pashtun space as opposed to Pashtun ethnicity; visual coding of the frontier as a space of threat; Othering through selective visibility; and emerging counter-narratives which place Pashtun as officers, victims and citizens. The results make clear that the films do not label Pashtuns as terrorists per se, but indirect but spatial rounds of profiling are produced as they repeatedly locate terror in Pashtun mountains, villages and dress. Meanwhile, Pashtun characters in service to the state, and Pashtun civilians who are victims of militancy, add to the dominant narrative. The study finds that Pakistani cinema creates and negotiates War on Terror securitisation and concludes that inclusive storytelling and Pashtun involvement in film production and media literacy are the solutions to combat ethnic profiling
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Corresponding Author
Laiq Ur Rahman
LLM Scholar, College of Law, Government College University, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan, Pakistan.
Corresponding Author: [email protected]
