Khawaja Asif's Fake Pizza Hut Inauguration Sparks Trolling

Khawaja Asif inaugurated a Pizza Hut outlet in Sialkot, later revealed by Pizza Hut Pakistan as unauthorised and fraudulent, sparking social media jokes and official action. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif found himself at the centre of an unexpected controversy after inaugurating a Pizza Hut-branded outlet in Sialkot, only for the company to later declare the restaurant unauthorised and fraudulent. Photos and videos circulating on social media showed Khawaja Asif attending a formal inauguration ceremony at the outlet in Sialkot Cantonment, complete with ribbon-cutting, floral arrangements and a small gathering. In the images, the politician is seen smiling for the cameras, scissors in hand, as the outlet was officially “opened" amid applause. However, the celebratory mood was short-lived. Soon after the visuals went viral, Pizza Hut Pakistan issued a public notice distancing itself from the outlet and categorically stating that the Sialkot Cantonment restaurant had no authorisation to operate under the Pizza Hut name or branding. “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," the statement read. “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 company added that it had “formally filed a complaint with the relevant authorities to stop the misuse of our trademark and ensure immediate action." It also clarified that Pizza Hut Pakistan currently operates 16 official outlets nationwide, 14 in Lahore and two in Islamabad, and urged customers to verify store locations through its official website. Pizza Hut Pakistan reiterated that “your trust matters deeply to us," emphasising that customers should rely only on verified outlets for the “authentic Pizza Hut experience." The episode quickly became fodder for humour on X, where users poked fun at the minister’s apparent misfortune and the optics of the situation. “One ribbon cut, one statement issued. That has to be some kind of record," one X user wrote. Another joked, “When even Pizza Hut says ‘Not our slice of the pie’," while a third quipped, “Defence Minister inaugurated an outlet that couldn’t defend its own brand authenticity." Some users drew comparisons to previous political gaffes, with one post reading, “From national security to pizza security, turns out the latter needed better verification." Others focused on the ceremony itself. “The ribbon-cutting photos are the best advertisement for why due diligence matters," a user commented, adding a laughing emoji.