The circular had, the airline said, come out inappropriately worded. "Despite the fact that the spirit behind the advisory was to ensure proper dress code, however, the standard bulletin, inadvertently, came out with an inappropriate selection of words," the national flag-carrier's Human Resources Department said.
Expressing regret, the top PIA HR functionary said, words more civilised and appropriate could have have been employed than the ones used. This, he said, was being used to defame the company. "“I personally feel regretful and am convinced that the words could have been more civilised and appropriate in this context instead of the words published which unfortunately are being trolled and twisted towards the defamation of the company in the media (electronic and social) rather than its actual essence.”
PIA had instructed cabin crew to dress "in accordance" with "cultural and national morals" earlier. The bulletin instructed cabin crew to attire themselves in formal, plainclothes worn over "proper undergarments". Crew dressed inappropriately were furthering a negative image of the company, the circular said.
The company, as aforementioned, received widespread flak after.
Actor Adnan Siddiqui counselled the national flag carrier to focus on improving "infrastructure, safety and service standards" instead of subjecting cabin crew to moral policing. "Instead of moral policing the cabin crew, the PIA should rather invest its energy in improving the infrastructure, safety and service standards. #cleanyourbackyardfirst," Siddiqui tweeted.
Journalist Naila Inayat questioned how "undergarments" portrayed a positive image of PIA. "How do undergarments potray positive image of PIA," she tweeted.
Lawyer Hassan Aslam Shad took a potshot at the airline by 'elucidating' on its once fabled slogan: Great People To Fly With in his tweet. "Soaring to new heights, great people to fly with (who wear undergarments)," he tweeted.
User Adnan Ali sardonically tweeted how he had been under the impression that having the unliscened pilot aircraft had given PIA a bad name. "Pakistan International Airlines,in its internal memo has instructed its crew to wear underwear. The memo says that by not wearing undergarments, a poor image of the company is portrayed. I was under the impression that flying planes by unlicensed pilots gave PIA a bad name," he said.