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Pakistan’s PM orders probe into national airline’s ad resembling 9/11 imagery

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has condemned the Pakistan International Airlines ad, calling it an act of ‘stupidity’

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A post by Pakistan International Airlines on X marking the resumption of flights to European Union destinations, including Paris. Photo: Pakistan International Airlines/X

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

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The advertisement by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was to mark the resumption of its flights to European Union countries after the EU lifted a four-year ban on the airline last November, which was imposed over multiple safety concerns.

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.”

“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.”

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