In brief
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is under fire for a promotional ad depicting a plane flying towards the Eiffel Tower, intended to announce flights to Paris. The ad's tagline, "Paris, we're coming today," raised eyebrows and sparked outrage among social media users who likened it to the tragic events of September 11, 2001. The imagery, which resonates with the memories of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, prompted users to question whether it was an advertisement or a threat. On X, one user remarked, "fire your marketing manager," reflecting widespread condemnation. The advertisement has amassed over 21 million views since its release last week.
In response to the backlash, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has initiated an inquiry, while Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has criticized the promotional content, according to reports from Pakistan's Geo News. The 9/11 attacks involved the hijacking and crashing of planes into key landmarks, resulting in nearly 3,000 fatalities. Notably, both the mastermind of 9/11, Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, and Osama bin Laden, were linked to Pakistan, fueling further sensitivities surrounding the ad. Prominent Pakistani journalist Omar Quraishi expressed disbelief at the lack of oversight on the ad, questioning whether the airline's management failed to recognize its implications. PIA, known for its history of controversies, faced scrutiny in the past for a 1979 ad featuring the shadow of a jet over the twin towers, symbolic of the 9/11 tragedy. Additionally, PIA garnered ridicule in 2017 for conducting a goat sacrifice to avert misfortune post an air disaster, and in 2019, it demanded flight attendants to lose weight or be grounded. The airline has yet to issue a statement addressing the current uproar.
