Pakistani airline is criticized over ad accused of evoking 9/11 attacks
The prime minister of Pakistan has ordered an investigation over an ad by the country’s flag carrier that was criticized as resembling the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The prime minister of Pakistan has ordered an investigation over an ad by the country’s flag carrier that was criticized as resembling the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The Pakistan International Airlines ad announcing the resumption of flights from Islamabad to Paris, which was posted on its official X account Jan. 10, shows a plane flying toward the Eiffel Tower with the tagline, “Paris, we’re coming today.”
The post has received more than 21 million views on X since it was published.
The ad quickly drew backlash on social media from commenters who said it evoked imagery from the 9/11 attacks in which almost 3,000 people were killed, when two hijacked passenger planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, a third hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon and a fourth plane crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers fought the hijackers and prevented it from reaching Washington.
“Did the airline management not vet this?” Omar Quraishi, a former political media adviser, said on X.
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