Sabeeka Ijaz2025-08-282025-08-282021https://escholar.umt.edu.pk/handle/123456789/5476The state narrative is heavily dependent on the responses towards certain development which occurs both within and outside the jurisdiction and domain of a state. Thus, the policies are interconnected, which also shape the foreign policy of a state. Narratives play vital role in shaping such policies. In this research narratives proposed by two military dictators are discussed; Zia’s Islamization and Musharraf’s Enlightened Moderation. General Zia tried to impose his version of Islam upon whole nation whereas Musharraf attempted to impose his narrative of enlightened moderation upon nation yet both failed to achieve their targets. The Afghan War in 1980s and the Pakistan’s participation in the global war on terror played a key part in establishing these narratives by dictators during and after the Cold War. This study seeks to analyse the two narrative adopted by the two dictator and how it has shaped Pakistani state and society over a period of time. In this research social constructivism is applied as a theoretical framework and most similar comparative research design is used as a research methodology to analyse the narratives adopted in the two autocratic regimes.en-USThesis