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 due to its striking similarity to the September 11 terror attacks. The post, shared on PIA’s official X account (formerly Twitter), aims to celebrate the resumption of flights from Islamabad to Paris after four years, but sparked a storm of criticism online.
The advertisement included a picture of a plane heading towards the Eiffel Tower, in front of the French flag, accompanied by a comment saying: “Paris, we are coming today.” However, the images brought back memories of the 2001 attacks when hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York, killing nearly 3,000 people.
The post quickly went viral, garnering more than 21 million views and sparking outrage. During a parliamentary session, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that the Prime Minister had ordered an investigation. He added: “The Prime Minister has directed (the authorities) to investigate whoever thought of this announcement. Dar pointed out that it is stupidity.
Despite the controversy, PIA’s first flight to Paris in four years landed successfully at Charles de Gaulle Airport on January 10. This service represents a milestone for the airline, coinciding with the recent European Union decision to lift the ban on PIA flights. However, the airline is still banned from operating in the US and UK.
This is not the first time that the Pakistani national carrier has been involved in a controversy. In 2017, PIA faced global ridicule after its employees sacrificed a goat on the runway for good luck. Even more damaging is that in 2020, a plane crash in Karachi claimed 97 lives, leading to an EU ban after pilot error was revealed and a third of Pakistani pilots were found to have fake licences.
Such incidents also pose a threat to the impending sale of the national carrier, for which the government has made repeated efforts. Bad PR, poor management and various other factors have already brought it to the brink of bankruptcy, making it an increasingly greater burden on Pakistan’s struggling taxpayers.
