University of Chitral Journal of Linguistics and Literature

This study deals with the utilization of Persuasive and Rhetorical Strategies used by Prime Minister Imran Khan in his address to the nation on 17 March, 2020. This address was made in the background of Covid-19 pandemic. Aristotle’s concept of persuasive components namely ethos, pathos, and logoswas followed to examine the utilization of these devices. Furthermore, rhetorical devices like rhetorical questions, inclusiveness and exclusiveness were also analyzed. Mixed Method approach was used to analyze the data. Quantitative data was obtained by using Corpus software AntConc, 3.5.8 (windows) 2019. Concordances were taken through this software, related to different devices and techniques. This numerical data was elaborated qualitatively. On the basis of the findings of the study, it can be said that PM Imran Khan practiced these techniques effectively and extensively.

or her own character, inspire the people emotionally and mention facts and figures that appeal to the natural instinct of the audience.

Ethos
It is a moral appeal by the speaker that he or she offers himself or herself as credible and trustworthy. Ethos stresses the character of the addresser\ speaker by intentionally displaying his or her image in such a manner that makes the addressees believe that the addresser\ speaker is honest, able and dependable.

Logos
It is an intellectual appeal that emphasizes reason and logic. It means that the arguments of the addresser should be supported by facts and figures in order to be clear and acceptable to the people (Higgins & Walker, 2012, p. 198).

Pathos
The speaker invokes the emotions of the audience (e.g. pleasure, optimism, pessimism, sorrow, pain, fear, sadness, etc). According to Aristotle (1984), "the emotions are all those feelings that so change men as to affect their judgments and that are also attended by pain or pleasure. Such are anger, pity, fear, and the like, with their opposites" (pp. 91-92 listeners on the basis of his high moral character accompanied by confidence. The speaker should gain this confidence through his speech not through prior image of the speaker's image (Aristotle, 1926, 17 in Cockcroft & Cockcroft,2014.
Aristotle's above mentioned views introduce ethos which means to persuade through character and self positioning. Self positioning is a set of ethics projected by the speaker or addresser through language and conduct. It is concerned with the speaker's image. The word "ethos" is derived from Greek words "custom", "habit", or "character". Anyhow, the word "ethos" is about our ethics or ethical norms.

Use of Personal Pronoun "I"
In his address to the nation, Imran Khan used the personal pronoun "I" for thirty times, having the percentage of 1.38% out of the total words. It shows that he has a strong character and high moral values. It also indicates that he takes responsibility of his actions. As the statistics drawn through concordance by using Antconc software, are an evidence that he is very much alive to the situation and leading from the front. In this way, he very well makes use of Aristotelian

Pathos
It is a word of Greek language which means 'suffering' or 'experience'. The speakers and orators make use of it to evoke the emotions and feelings of the audience i.e. their fears, worries, difficulties, miseries and hopes, etc.
Prime Minister Imran khan's this address was in the background of Covid-19 pandemic which has shaken the world in every field of life. It is an infectious disease which spreads rapidly from one man to another. The concordance shows that he has mentioned the word "Corona" sixteen times in his address. He has used this word again and again to make the people conscious of how dangerous this virus is. In this way, he, knowingly or unknowingly, makes well use of "Pathos",

Logos
It is a Greek word which means 'a word' or 'reason'. By following logos, the speaker makes an appeal to the intellect and mind of the listeners with the help of facts and figures.
Analysis of Khan's address shows that he has made an extensive use of statistics and numerical data. As for example, the following quoted text is a proof of this argument.
"And out these 97% of patients, 90% suffer from its mild attack such as flu ordinary cough.
4 to 5 % patients have to go to hospital. But as you see, it is accelerating world wid. Until now it has reached 19000000 cases. When 4 or 5% percent out of such a number come in a country, it becomes a massive figure".
This text shows that he does not give sweeping statements rather he talks with the help of numerical data which appeals to the minds and intellect of the people. He argues logically and rationally which proves that he has the ability to convince the people by using the rhetorical technique of "logos". Other examples of logos can also be quoted as, "We have screened 9 lack people till now". "About 25% of our people are in acute poverty".

Rhetorical Questions
Questions are normally asked to seek information but rhetorical questions are rather asked to provide information. Rhetorical questions actually demand a mental response from the audience in the form of their acceptance of the answer conveyed to them by the addressor. A question presented by the speaker as a challenge to communicate his resolve to its hidden answer, for the sake of evoking mental acceptance of the audience as a valid one (Ilie, 1994: 128). Different language users use rhetorical questions for their communicative effective effectiveness in different situations. The most salient feature of RQs is that they are not asked to get a clear answer. In most of the situations, these questions have the answer within them that is already understood not only by the addressor but also by the listeners (Sadock, 1974;Han, 2002 These concordances reveal that all the WH questions are rhetorical ones not in interrogative form.
Imran khan makes an abundant use of rhetorical questions in order to make his arguments validated by the people.

Frequency of rhetorical Questions
What 15 When 07 How 06 Where 05 Which 04 Why 01 The frequency of the above words gives the clue that Khan uses them as key words in his speeches to persuade and convince the audience.
Inclusive and Exclusive "we", "Our" Inclusive "we", is commonly used to involve the speaker, the listener and others. Exclusive Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G., & Svartvik, J. (1985). A comprehensive grammar of the English language. New York: Longman. Inclusiveness or exclusiveness of "we", is not decided within the text rather it depends on the position of the addressor and the addressee in the given context (Halliday & Hasan, 1976).
The concordances are a proof that Khan extensively use the first pronouns "we", and "our". And