How is truth constructed and contested in political discourse? The Mahbub Ul Haq Research Centre recently hosted a book launch for Dr. Anam Kuraishi’s book, ‘Towards a New Paradigm on Post-truth’ moderated by Dr. Asma Faiz. The discussion explored the complex and timely phenomenon of post-truth politics, with case studies drawn from Brexit, the Trump presidency, and Pakistan’s 2018 general elections.

Dr. Kuraishi presented an analytical framework that reconceptualized post-truth as a political discourse driven by desire, elite rhetoric, and fantasy. This framework explores how emotionally charged narratives are constructed, disseminated, and accepted by citizens in search of meaning and identity, with particular emphasis on media influence. Dr. Kuraishi’s experimental findings highlighted the emotional resonance of rhetoric rooted in fantasy and lack, demonstrating the affective power of political messaging.
Dr. Asma Faiz commended the relevance of this work for hybrid democracies, noting its application to significant political moments in Pakistan such as the APS attack and the denial of the Taliban’s domestic identity. She also emphasized the role of language in shaping post-truth narratives, particularly regarding terms like the caliphate and Islamic identity in media discourse. The question-and-answer session with the audience raised important considerations about gender, citizen positionality, and the implications of narrative convergence across partisan lines.

Overall, the talk was an engaging session that underscored that post-truth politics is not simply a breakdown of truth, but a transformation of how political meaning is made, through emotional, symbolic, and rhetorical appeals. By focusing on desire and fantasy as central to political communication, the research by Dr. Kuraishi offers a compelling lens through which to understand the ongoing crisis of democracy in both established and emerging political systems.