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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an inquiry into a controversial social media post by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) that celebrated the resumption of flights to Europe after a four-year hiatus.
The post, shared on PIA’s official X handle, sparked outrage online for its perceived insensitivity, Geo News reported.
The post featured an image of a PIA aircraft flying toward the Eiffel Tower, with the French flag in the background, accompanied by the caption, “Paris, we are coming today.” Critics compared the visual to the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States, where hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field, resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths.
Pakistan’s deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, condemned the post while addressing the upper house of parliament. Quoting the Prime Minister, Dar stated, “The Prime Minister has directed [authorities] to investigate who conceived this ad. It is a stupidity.” He also expressed concerns over the caption accompanying the image.
The controversial post, dated January 10, amassed over 21.2 million views before being widely criticised.
PIA’s flight PK 749 to Paris landed successfully at Charles de Gaulle Airport, marking the resumption of direct flights to France after more than four years. The passengers, crew, and officials were warmly received at the airport by Charge d’Affairs Huzefa Khanum and members of the Pakistani diaspora, ARY News reported.
At Islamabad airport, a send-off ceremony for the passengers was attended by defence and aviation minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, PIA’s acting CEO Khurram Mushtaq, and Secretary Aviation.
The resumption of flights follows the lifting of a ban imposed by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) after a 2020 scandal revealed issues with the validity of some PIA pilots’ licenses. The controversy erupted in the wake of a PIA crash in Karachi that claimed 97 lives.
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