PM Orders Inquiry into PIA’s Controversial Paris Flight Ad Amid Public Backlash
The ad features a PIA aircraft flying towards the Eiffel Tower with the tagline "Paris, we're coming today,"

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into a controversial advertisement released by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) promoting its resumed flights to Paris.
As reported, this decision follows significant public backlash and criticism from various quarters, including PPP Senator Sherry Rehman, who claimed the ad led to public ridicule.
Senator Sherry Rehman voiced concerns about the future of the airline, questioning whether the privatisation plan had been scrapped or was still underway. She pointed out that out of PIA’s fleet of 34 aircraft, only 19 are operational, while the remainder are grounded.
Rehman also criticised the advertisement for flights to Paris, which she claimed became a source of public ridicule. She questioned the agency behind the ad and the official who approved it.
The advertisement, which features a PIA aircraft flying towards the Eiffel Tower with the tagline “Paris, we’re coming today,” has been described as “tone deaf” and insensitive.
Critics have drawn parallels between this imagery and the tragic events of September 11, 2001, suggesting that it evokes memories of terrorist attacks involving aeroplanes.
Social media users expressed their dismay, with some questioning the creative judgment behind the ad and others recalling a similar controversial advertisement from 1979 that depicted a PIA plane’s shadow over the Twin Towers in New York City.