Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the country's flag carrier, recently found itself in the middle of a controversy after posting an advertisement that many found disturbing. The ad showed an airplane flying towards the Eiffel Tower, with the caption, “Paris, we’re coming today,” to promote the resumption of flights to Paris after a four-year break. 

This image quickly went viral on social media, with many users pointing out its unsettling resemblance to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, where planes were used to strike buildings in the United States, killing nearly 3,000 people.

Why did it cause such a stir?

The imagery of the ad was as if it was telling people about what happened during 9/11, when hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Social media quickly filled with complaints, including this one from a user who asked, "Is this an advertisement or a threat?”

Others demanded action, with one suggesting that PIA should "fire your marketing manager."  The ad has been viewed over 21 million times and has received widespread backlash.

How did the Pakistani government respond? 

The backlash was major enough to be noticed by the Pakistani government. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an investigation into the incident. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar termed the advertisement as "stupidity." It is reported that three people linked with the ad were taken in for questioning by the police.

PIA is no stranger to controversy. The airline has previously been criticized over a series of issues, from an advertisement in the 1970s showing a plane’s shadow over the Twin Towers, a moment that now seems similar to 9/11. 

More recently, in 2017, the airline was mocked when its staff sacrificed a goat on the runway for good luck after a major air disaster. 

The airline once again hit the headlines in 2019, when it forced flight attendants to lose weight or face grounding.

The Prime Minister's involvement shows how serious the backlash is. As emotions run high and most feel that the ad is insensitive, the government could not remain an observer in the situation. 

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that Shehbaz Sharif ordered a probe saying, “The Prime Minister has directed [authorities] to investigate who conceived this ad. It is stupidity.”

Although PIA's first resumed flight to Paris landed successfully at Charles de Gaulle Airport, the airline is still suffering from the aftermath of the scandal. 

The European Union had banned PIA following a spate of crashes, including one in Karachi in 2020 in which 97 people died. A pilot licensing scandal in which it emerged that a third of Pakistan's pilots held fake licenses further worsened its reputation.

Even though flights to Europe have been restored, the airline has not been cleared to operate in the United States or the United Kingdom.

PIA has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the controversy.