Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is once again at the heart of controversy after a social media ad meant to celebrate the restart of its European flights backfired in a dramatic fashion.
Following significant backlash against the poorly ill-conceived advertisement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed an inquiry into the issue, according to a report by Geo TV.
The provocative post on PIA’s official X account included a picture of a plane appearing to fly towards the Eiffel Tower, along with the caption, “Paris, we are arriving today.”
The effort to celebrate swiftly transformed into a public relations nightmare, as numerous internet users made troubling comparisons between the image and the September 11 terrorist attacks. Approximately 3,000 individuals perished in the 2001 attacks when hijacked aircraft collided with the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.
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Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, during a speech to the upper house of parliament, cited Prime Minister Sharif, referring to the matter as an act of “foolishness” and affirmed that officials were instructed to look into who authorized the advertisement, as reported by Geo TV.
Dar likewise voiced significant worries about the captions that accompanied the post.
The response to the advertisement has been rapid and unforgiving. Political analyst Ian Bremmer remarked on Threads, “Pakistan air needs a fresh graphic designer,” echoing the widespread opinion online.
The internet quickly transformed the incident into a meme bonanza, with many remembering a comparable PIA advertisement from 1979. That advertisement showcased a Boeing 747 looming over New York City’s Twin Towers, an eerie coincidence in retrospect. This recent blunder has caused numerous people to wonder if PIA has gained any insights from its previous errors.
Social media users are wondering if PIA’s graphics team requires a quick lesson in history. A user remarked, “Whoever is in charge of graphics for Pakistan Airlines needs a lesson in history. What the hell is this!”
