Sialkot: Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif is not new to controversy, but his recent inauguration of a ‘bogus’ Pizza Hut outlet at the Sialkot Cantonment certainly takes the cake.
Several videos of Asif cutting the ribbon to inaugurate the store, amid great fanfare, went online before Pizza Hut Pakistan stepped in to say that the outlet is unauthorised.
“Pizza Hut Pakistan informs our valued customers that an unauthorised outlet falsely using the Pizza Hut name and branding has recently opened in Sialkot Cantonment. This outlet is not associated with Pizza Hut Pakistan, or Yum! Brands. It does not follow Pizza Hut International recipes, quality protocols, food safety and operational standards,” Pizza Hut Pakistan said in a statement.
The company has also filed a c
omplaint with the relevant authorities to stop the “misuse” of its trademark and ensure immediate action. At present, Pizza Hut Pakistan operates a total of 16 stores nationwide. While 14 of them are in Lahore, two are in Islamabad.
The statement by Pizza Hut Pakistan turned the high-profile event into a source of mockery, with social media expressing ridicule and disbelief over the lack of verification by the administration before a high-profile minister attended the event, as reported by NDTV.
“One ribbon cut, one statement issued. That has to be some kind of record,” a user posted.
“When even Pizza Hut says, ‘Not our slice of the pie,” another joked.
A third social media user commented: “Only in Pakistan can a Defence Minister proudly inaugurate a fake Pizza Hut. Khawaja Asif cut the ribbon, smiled for cameras, and walked away—only for the brand to later declare the outlet unauthorised. No one can parody this level of incompetence.”
“Kuch asli baki reh geya hy ya nahi is soobay main? Ajeeb vahiyat log nafiz hain hum per (Is there any real thing left anymore in Pakistan? We have been bestowed with weird and useless folks?),” another one posted in Urdu