A new pizza outlet from a ‘popular brand’ was inaugurated in Pakistan by the Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, with a lot of pomp and show, but the catch of the event was the authenticity of the outlet, which was criticised, and numerous photos of the same went viral online!
Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif inaugurates a fake ‘Pizza Hut’ outlet (Photo: @Globalwatchh/ X)
The grand (fake) opening got slammed online
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif showed up in Sialkot’s cantonment area for something that looked like a standard ribbon-cutting. Floral setups, a rolled-out red carpet, and plenty of photo ops made it feel official, as photos and videos captured him confidently inaugurating the “Pizza Hut” outlet. The event went off without a hitch at first, with Asif, a senior figure from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, playing his part in something that was meant to boost the local business.But eagle-eyed social media users quickly spotted the issues. The spot wasn’t on Pizza Hut Pakistan’s official store list, which only lists 16 legit outlets, mostly in Lahore and Islamabad. Despite the familiar red roof logo and branding, something felt off right away.
Pizza Hut clears the misconception
Pizza Hut Pakistan wasted no time after the clips went viral. They released a clear statement on their official Instagram page, “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.” They continued the statement, writing, “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.”The US chain didn’t stop at words; they also took serious action. Pizza Hut said it has formally filed a complaint with the relevant authorities to stop the misuse of “our trademark and ensure immediate action,” as per their official clarification.
Social media erupts with humorous responses
The backlash hit quickly online, turning the ceremony into prime meme material. Users mocked the quick turnaround from celebration to denial. One wrote, “One ribbon cut, one statement issued. That has to be some kind of record.” Another joked, “When even Pizza Hut says, ‘Not our slice of the pie.’”Trolling got sharper from there. A third user vented, “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.”Even in Urdu, frustration poured out, where a user wrote, “Kuch asli baqi reh gaya hai ya nahi is soobay main? Ajeeb vahiyat log nafiz hain hum par (Is there any real thing left anymore in Pakistan? We have been bestowed with weird and useless folks?).”