South Asia Times

Facebook X-twitter Youtube Instagram Tiktok Linkedin

Pakistan’s PM Orders Probe into National Airline’s Advertisement Resembling 9/11 Imagery

PM Shehbaz Sharif orders probe into PIA advertisement sparking controversy over 9/11 imagery on flight to Paris. [Image via South China Morning Post]

Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif has ordered a probe into an advertisement of the country’s flag carrier that bears imagery similar to the September 11 attacks.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) marked the resumption of its flights to European Union countries with the advertisement. The EU lifted a four-year ban on the airline last November. The EU had imposed the ban over multiple safety concerns.

PM Sharif has ordered a probe into the controversial advertisement, seeking an explanation from PIA officials.

Also See: PIA Resumes Direct Flights to Europe After EU Lifts Ban

A post shared by the airline on X on January 10 – the same day as the resumption of its flights to the EU – shows an image of a PIA plane flying towards the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, sparking condemnations by online users over its evocation of the 2001 attacks in New York.

The caption read: “Paris, we’re coming today.”

Tweet

“Is this a threat?” one user said in a post on X. Another user mocked the PIA advertisement saying: “This campaign is rated 9/11.”

This news is sourced from [South China Morning Post] and is for informational purposes only.

Picture of News Desk

News Desk

Your trusted source for insightful journalism. Stay informed with our compelling coverage of global affairs, business, technology, and more.

News Desk

Your trusted source for insightful journalism. Stay informed with our compelling coverage of global affairs, business, technology, and more.

Recent

Herat tragedy claims 30 lives, exposing Afghanistan’s governance failures, unsafe migration, and escalating humanitarian crisis.

Herat Border Tragedy: The Deadly Consequences of Afghanistan’s Governance Failures

SAT Commentary December 20, 2025

The Herat border tragedy, is a stark illustration of the human cost of Afghanistan’s governance failures. With limited economic opportunities, widespread poverty, and insufficient social support, families are forced to undertake life-threatening journeys across freezing mountains. The incident underscores the urgent need for the Afghan government to provide stable livelihoods, establish safe migration routes, and strengthen healthcare and social services, as humanitarian risks continue to escalate across the country.

Read More »
A fact-based rebuttal of claims about Pakistani troop deployment in Gaza, exposing disinformation and reaffirming Pakistan’s UN-mandated peacekeeping doctrine.

Debunking the Gaza Deployment Narrative

SAT Commentary December 19, 2025

False claims of a Pakistani troop deployment to Gaza, amplified by disinformation networks, were firmly rejected by the Foreign Office, reaffirming that Pakistan’s military operates only under UN mandates and constitutional limits.

Read More »
The death of Sharif Osman Hadi marks the collapse of the 1971 Consensus, reshaping Bangladesh’s identity and triggering a strategic crisis for India.

The End of the 1971 Consensus

SAT Editorial Desk December 19, 2025

Sharif Osman Hadi’s death has become the symbolic burial of the 1971 Consensus that long structured India–Bangladesh relations. For a generation with no lived memory of the Liberation War, Hadi embodies a Second Independence, reframing 1971 as the start of Indian dominance rather than true sovereignty. His killing has accelerated Bangladesh’s rupture with India and exposed a deep strategic crisis across South Asia.

Read More »
Afghanistan’s Taliban uses pharmaceutical policy to assert autonomy, decouple from Pakistan, and expand strategic ties with India.

Afghan Taliban’s Biopolitics

SAT Commentary December 18, 2025

The Taliban’s health diplomacy is reshaping Afghanistan’s geopolitical landscape. By phasing out Pakistani pharmaceuticals and inviting Indian partnerships, Kabul securitizes its healthcare infrastructure as a tool of strategic realignment. The shift highlights the intersection of sovereignty, economic statecraft, and regional influence, with Afghan patients bearing the immediate consequences.

Read More »
Islamophobia after violent attacks fuels polarization, legitimizes collective blame, and undermines security while strengthening extremist narratives.

Who Benefits from Islamophobia?

SAT Commentary December 17, 2025

In the wake of global violence, political actors often replace evidence-based analysis with collective blame. Islamophobia, when elevated from fringe rhetoric to state discourse, fractures society and weakens security.

Read More »