Controversial advertisement of PIA leads to calls for investigation
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has ordered an investigation into
an advertisement by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) that many on social
media compared to imagery from the September 11, 2001 attacks. The ad, which
was intended to celebrate the resumption of PIA’s flights to Paris, has drawn
widespread condemnation.
The controversial advertisement depicted a PIA aircraft pointed toward the
Eiffel Tower, with the caption “Paris, we’re coming today.” The image, posted
on X (formerly Twitter), quickly went viral, with over 21 million views,
sparking criticism for its unsettling resemblance to the tragic events of 9/11,
when airplanes were used to attack buildings in New York and Washington, D.C.
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Political scientist Ian Bremmer criticized the ad on Threads, stating,
“Pakistan air needs a new graphic designer.” Omar R. Quraishi, a newspaper
columnist, expressed his shock, asking, “Do they not know about the 9/11
tragedy — which used planes to attack buildings?”
The controversy is especially sensitive due to Pakistan’s historical
connections to the 9/11 attacks. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who is accused of
masterminding the attacks, was arrested in Pakistan in 2003, and Osama bin
Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda, was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan in 2011.
In response to the backlash, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar,
confirmed during a session of Parliament that Prime Minister Sharif had
instructed an inquiry into how the advertisement was approved within PIA.
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The incident adds to a series of challenges facing PIA, which has been
struggling with significant financial losses and obstacles in the government’s
attempts to privatize the airline. In November, the privatization effort was
set back when the only bid received was for less than 12% of the government’s
$300 million minimum sale price.
PIA is no stranger to controversy. In 2017, the airline made headlines when
its ground crew performed a goat sacrifice on the tarmac for good luck.
Additionally, PIA has faced scrutiny over its safety standards, with both the
U.S. and UK barring its planes from operating in their airspace. The airline
was only able to resume flights to Paris after the European Union’s aviation
safety agency lifted a four-year ban.
Source: New York Times