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

A deep dive into how the Afghan Taliban weaponises anti-Pakistan rhetoric to mask governance failures, rising poverty, and Afghanistan’s growing security meltdown.

The Politics of Blame

SAT Editorial Desk November 30, 2025

Afghanistan’s leadership has responded to recent international backlash by amplifying a narrative that frames Pakistan as the root of all Afghan crises. This rhetoric, pushed by senior Taliban officials, serves as a diversion from Kabul’s own administrative paralysis, economic collapse, and its complicity in enabling militant groups like the TTP. As poverty deepens and Afghanistan becomes a hub for dozens of terrorist outfits, the politics of blame has become the Taliban’s primary tool for deflecting scrutiny.

Read More »
Sanctuary and Sovereignty: The Tribal Ethics Behind the Pakistan–Taliban Rift

Sanctuary and Sovereignty: The Tribal Ethics Behind the Pakistan–Taliban Rift

SAT Editorial Desk November 28, 2025

The piece analyzes the Pakistan–Taliban rift through the lens of Pashtunwali, highlighting how Kabul’s sheltering of the TTP and its revival of Durand Line irredentism conflict with the tribal code’s principles of hospitality, sanctuary, and reciprocity. These choices undermine decades of Pakistani support and have transformed a historically interdependent relationship into one marked by distrust and hostility.

Read More »