(MENAFN- Live Mint) As Pakistan International airlines (PIA) came under severe backlash over its recent 9/11-like social media advertisement on the resumption of Islamabad-Paris flights after a four-year break, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an inquiry into it.
For the unversed, the PIA advertisement showed a PIA plane heading towards the famous Eiffel Tower with the French flag appearing in the background, with many finding its resemblance to the 9/11 attacks in the United States in 2001 when two hijacked planes crashed into the Twin Towers, nearly 3,000.
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has also criticised the PIA's controversial post while quoting the country's chief executive during his address to the upper house of the parliament, as per Geo News.
What was PIA's controversial post?
In a post on X, PIA shared an image of a plane heading towards the Eiffel Tower and the caption read:“Paris, we are coming today.”
The social media post was criticised online due to its resemblance to the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States.
Addressing Parliament, Ishaq Dar said,“The Prime Minister has directed [authorities] to investigate who conceived this ad. It is a stupidity,” Geo News quoted. The deputy prime minister also expressed concern over the caption,“Paris, we're coming today”.
How internet reacted on PIA post?
Not very nicely. While some made jokes, some social media users launched a scathing attack on the airline for this creative genius.
One user said,“I mean who is PIA's creative agency. Who designed this? Who or which agency manages its social media accounts? Did the airline management not vet this? Did the idiot who designed this graphic not see a PIA plane heading for the Eiffel Tower? One of Europe's iconic landmarks. Do they not know about the 9/11 tragedy - which used planes to attack buildings. Do they not know that PIA is an airline owned by a country often accused of supporting terrorism?”
“Just Pakistan things! Pakistan's national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), shares a poster on its official social media handle depicting a plane seemingly about to crash into the Eiffel Tower. Is that an ad or a threat? Very 9/11 vibes,” a user said.
“Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) needs to hesitate. You just cannot post a graphic with an aircraft inching towards the Eiffel Tower with the caption.”
Despite all that basklash, the PIA post is lingers on PIA's X account.
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