Political masculinities: crisis, governance, and leadership in Imran Khan’s UNGA speeches

Abstract

This study examines how Imran Khan constructs his political masculinity in his 2019 and 2021 UNGA speeches, employing a rhetoric that intertwines Islamic morality, nationalist pride, and transnational justice. Using Hearn’s framework of political masculinities, the study highlights how Khan’s discourse negotiates Pakistan’s volatile socio-political hierarchies while positioning himself as a moral leader of the Global South. The study argues that while Khan’s rhetoric critiques global inequities and imperialist structures, it simultaneously perpetuates patriarchal frameworks, relegating women and subaltern groups to symbolic roles. This work contributes to understanding political masculinities as adaptive mechanisms navigating crises while reinforcing exclusionary power dynamics in postcolonial governance.

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