Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a detailed investigation into a controversial social media post by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which faced public backlash for its striking resemblance to the 9/11 terror attacks. The post, shared on PIA’s official X account (formerly Twitter), aimed to celebrate the resumption of flights from Islamabad to Paris after four years but triggered a firestorm of criticism online.
The ad featured an image of a plane heading toward the Eiffel Tower, set against the French flag, accompanied by the caption, “Paris, we’re coming today.” However, the imagery evoked memories of the 2001 attacks when hijacked planes crashed into New York’s World Trade Center, killing nearly 3,000 people.
The post quickly went viral, amassing over 21 million views and sparking outrage. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, addressing the matter during a parliamentary session, confirmed that the Prime Minister had ordered an inquiry. “The Prime Minister has directed [authorities] to investigate who conceived this ad. It is stupidity,” Dar remarked.
Despite the controversy, PIA’s first flight to Paris in four years successfully landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport on January 10. The service marks a significant milestone for the airline, coinciding with the European Union’s recent decision to lift its ban on PIA flights. However, the airline remains barred from operating in the United States and the United Kingdom.
This is not the first time Pakistan’s national carrier has been embroiled in controversy. In 2017, PIA faced global ridicule after its staff sacrificed a goat on the tarmac for good luck. More damagingly, in 2020, a plane crash in Karachi claimed 97 lives, leading to the EU ban after revelations of pilot error and a discovery that a third of Pakistan’s pilots held fraudulent licenses.
Incidents such as this also stand to pose a threat to the flag carrier’s impending sale, for which the government has made repeated efforts. The bad PR, bad management and various other factors have already lead to the verge of bankruptcy making it an increasingly bigger burden for the distressed taxpayers of Pakistan.
