Life & Style

PIA 'invite' for Harry, Meghan backfires spectacularly

'Hold your markhor'

Entertainment Desk May 21, 2018

While newlyweds Harry and Meghan may have had to put their honeymoon plans on hold due to royal engagements, national flag-carrier Pakistan International Airlines was the latest to jump on the royal wedding bandwagon by inviting the couple to visit the nation's northern areas. Unfortunately for PIA, the move backfired spectacularly with many rapping the company on microblogging site Twitter.

If the Royal wedding was a 'desi' affair

Invoking the memory of Princess Diana's trip to Pakistan, PIA presented an invite for the two. "We watched the Royal Wedding and remembered Princess Diana and her trip to the northern areas of Pakistan. And we thought how wonderful it would be for the newlyweds to visit our northern splendo(u)rs as well! So Prince Harry and Meghan, we are ready, just let us know when!"

We watched the #RoyalWeddding & remembered #PrincessDiana & her trip to the northern areas of Pakistan, & we thought how wonderful it would be for the newly weds to visit our northern splendours as well! So #PrinceHarry & #PrincessMeghan, we are ready, just let us know when! #PIA pic.twitter.com/2aVtnqxeZ4
— PIA (@Official_PIA) May 19, 2018

While some expressed their readiness to welcome the couple and appreciate the gesture, many rapped the airline.

Pakistan will welcome the newly we'd Royal couple. Harry and Megan
— Naila Maqsood (@NailaMaqsood5) May 20, 2018

Nice gesture by PIA
— Muhammad Shafiq, Ph.D. (@Pakistan_Shafiq) May 20, 2018

The hate:

Yeah I think it's safe to say they are not coming ...hold your markhor
— NotFahad (@fahadumeris) May 19, 2018

https://twitter.com/shabirudin3/status/998088165750697984

Apna haal dekho or apni batien dekho. Sharam ani chahye PIA walun ko
— Umar Khalid (@umarkhalid888) May 20, 2018

https://twitter.com/dr_zami/status/998272521274355713

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.

COMMENTS (17)

Preposterous | 5 years ago | Reply @Reader: Just Google "PIA Safety" to get answers for you. Thanks.

Syed Salman Haider | 5 years ago | Reply All those negating the idea of inviting the royal couple by PIA are the ones who wants to make fun of our national assets even if that asset is loss making PIA, at least appreciate their gesture and it would encourage PIA to be back to its best. I am sure if Prince Harry and Princess Megha Merkel do come to Pakistan it would become their best memory. Start appreciating Pakistanis.

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Reader | 5 years ago | Reply @Preposterous: Please shed some light on how you declared PIA's safety record as unsatisfactory. Is it based on facts or just your personal feelings?

Irfan Afzal | 5 years ago | Reply If the couple is ever to see, arguably, the most beautiful place on Earth, they will have to accept PIA's invite.

Sabir shah | 5 years ago | Reply Very good gesture. That parts of the world is untouched. What will some one do in boring places like Hayden park in London, Kakado Park in Australia,Tajmahal in India, Liberty posture in US. They are commercial area, I rather go to SWAT.

FN | 5 years ago | Reply Misleading title.. How did it "backfire spectacularly?" Just because some twitter users made fun of the idea?

Ausaf | 5 years ago | Reply I read the article to see how did PIA's invite actually backfired 'spectacularly' but nothing in there suggest that. I guess this is just part of our culture to pooh-pooh anything good. There was a good historical reference in the tweet and made for a good gesture. Give credit where its due. No need to click-bait headlines ET.

ikram | 5 years ago | Reply It was a nice gesture by PIA. PIA is a representative of Pakistan, so if they have invited the newlyweds to visit northern Pakistan, its a good gesture, regardless of how "bad" some consider the airline to be. The couple can easily travel on an airline of their choice. What is the big fuss over hating PIA for inviting them?

Impossible | 5 years ago | Reply @Yasir Hasan: PIA does not publish statistics of its safety records nor of delayed flights.

Bunny Rabbit | 5 years ago | Reply I think its a nice gesture by PIA to invite the royal couple to enjoy the beauty of Pak. I don't see any room for such censure and contempt .

Yasir Hasan | 5 years ago | Reply This is the difference between Pakistanis and Indians. I work with Indians and while they do hue and cry about their government and country in general but you will never see them mocking their institutes and personalities. Pakistanis on the other hand will be the first to do this unfortunately. To the person who said "Given that PIA’s safety record is not satisfactory, it was not a good move to invite them." Can you elaborate based on statistics?

Tyggar | 5 years ago | Reply Please spare the Royals, they have already lost one Princess

Salman Vohra | 5 years ago | Reply Very Good And Bold Step By PIA when no one is doing nothing to promote its FLAG, and so, PIA did. Dear PIA now you have taken a Great Responsibility so Gear up and prove the world that what we have got. I Am With You - Pakistan is with you

Pekhawar Khan | 5 years ago | Reply Very nice gesture from PIA. They should ask the couple to come visit some other time. We can provide the security, and leisure. Shangrila resort has seen presidents over time, so why not the royals. So you're very welcome, if you ever want to visit, Harry!

Preposterous | 5 years ago | Reply Given that PIA's safety record is not satisfactory, it was not a good move to invite them.

ahmad | 5 years ago | Reply "His Royal Highness" are we still slaves?

salman | 5 years ago | Reply Just a marketing and attention seeking tweet, no harm in it. Whats with E.T really to make a topic about it ?

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