Ayesha Syed Becomes PhD Defending Her Dissertation “(De)Constructing Pakistaniyat: A Saga of Dissemination of Master and Counter Narratives” Successfully

Ayesha Syed, a doctoral candidate in our Department of Sociology, has been awarded PhD on 12 August 2026 Wednesday, after successfully defending her dissertation titled “(De)Constructing Pakistaniyat: A Saga of Dissemination of Master and Counter Narratives” written under the supervision of Prof. Ramazan Aras.

Written as a quasi-autoethnography, the dissertation examines the long-contested question of national identity in Pakistan through the interplay of master and counter narratives. It compares the visions of "Pakistan-ness" produced by state narratives during the avowedly praetorian Zia and Musharraf regimes with the counter-narratives voiced in resistance poetry and protest movements of the same periods.

By analyzing symbols, cultural practices, idolization, and otherization, the study traces the formative core of national consciousness and seeks to contribute to a more inclusive and representative parallel social history that makes non-hegemonic voices audible.

We congratulate PhD Syed and wish her continued success in her academic career.