SHAPING PERCEPTIONS: ANALYSING THE DISCOURSE OF LEADING AMERICAN THINK TANKS ON PAKISTAN SINCE 2011

This study aims to analyse the discourse generated by two leading American think tanks—the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the US Institute of Peace (USIP)—on Pakistan since 2011. The paper does so, by employing the discourse analysis method. It studies in detail the narratives peddled by these institutions particularly in three key thematic areas i.e. terrorism, political stability, and economy. The paper employs the epistemic community approach to assess how these narratives influence US foreign policy decisions toward Pakistan. Through an extensive review of think tank publications, policy briefs, and expert interviews, the study finds that the discourse generated by the respective think tanks on Pakistan has been
predominantly negative. It portrays Pakistan as a security risk and an unreliable partner. Furthermore, this discourse has also been reflected in US foreign policy decisions towards Pakistan in negative manner since 2011. The findings underscore the importance of think tanks in shaping international relations and highlight the need for Pakistan to actively engage with these institutions to provide a counter narrative.