The ad was shared with the public on the official X account of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on January 10. It drew criticism soon after its widespread circulation on the internet where many users complained about its troublesome resemblance to the moment when two hijacked airplanes crashed into the Twin Towers during the 9/11 attacks which was perpetrated by Al Qaide Islamist terrorists when
The ad demonstrated a PIA airplane flying on Parisian skies with the French flag appearing in the background, towards the city’s renowned symbol, the Eiffel Tower. It also had a short line « Paris we are coming today »
The ad going viral evoked outrage among many users. They blamed it for having an insensitive and offensive tone considering the attacks that traumatized the whole world in 2001. Some users even went beyond complaining by regarding it as « threatening ». Indeed, they claimed it had a provocative message behind it.
Following the backlash, Pakistani authorities got involved in the case. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an investigation into the matter. Moreover, deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar referred to it as « stupidity ».A spokesperson from PIA, Abdullah Hafeez, also apologized and expressed that hurting people’s emotions was not their intention.
9/11 marks the most horrible terrorist attack the United States has ever witnessed in its history on September 11, 2001. The Al Qaida terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes, crashing two of them into the Twin Towers killing 2753 people in New York. The third plane had also crashed into the Pentagon while the fourth, flight 93, crashed into an empty field. 2977 people lost their lives during the attacks which initiated the military campaign « Global War on Terror » by the US.
Other controversies around PIA
The ad is not the first controversy Pakistan’s national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines, has witnessed.
PIA has recently been re-authorized by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to operate in Europe after a 4-year ban. PIA was suspended following the deadly crash in Karachi which claimed 99 lives. Only two survived. The final report of The Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) indicated that Flight 8303 crashed due to “human error”.
A few months after the investigation of the crash, it was reported that almost a third of the pilots working for PIA had cheated on their exams and used fake licenses. This revelation added up to the suspension of the airline company.
Furthermore, the company previously made the headlines for “sacrificing” a black goat near a plane for “luck” before taking off for a test flight. This traditional act was realised following yet another plane crash in 2016 which killed 48 people including the crew. PIA is also known to force its flight to lose weight attendants for being “overweight”. In 2017, media reports revealed that seven extra passengers were admitted to a flight to Saudi Arabia.
PIA’s flight ban was lifted in November last year.
Pakistan’s political situation and its history with terrorism
Pakistan has been in political turmoil these recent years. The tensions were triggered by the fall of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Indeed, he was sentenced to prison for multiple legal cases. One of those includes a 14 year sentence for corruption. However, its loyalists continue to destabilize the country and its governance. His political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has recently announced its withdrawal from the talks with the government which aimed to ease tensions. This political instability benefits the extremist Islamist groups within the region beyond Pakistani borders. The situation provides these groups the means and opportunities to clash on border regions and conflict zones.
Pakistan’s history with Islamist terrorism and various terrorist groups is very intricate as well.
The terrorist who planned the attacks was a Pakistani Al Qaida terrorist named Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. He was known as the mastermind of 9/11 and was arrested in Pakistan in March 2003.
In addition, the leader of Al Qaida Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan during an operation in 2011.
Today, the Pakistani Taliban continues to terrorize Pakistani people and target local communities, minorities, women, and girls among whom the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai. These attacks increased especially after the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The current political deadlock makes Pakistan vulnerable and worsens its response and durability to natural disasters and human-made catastrophes. Internal dynamics such as the struggle with terrorism and political tensions as well as the lack of accountability may be pointed as an underlying reason.
Despite the concerns, PIA realized its first flight to Paris in recent weeks after a 4-year hiatus amid scrutiny of PIA’s ability to meet aviation safety standards.
