Pakistan defence minister inaugurates Pizza Hut — Pizza Hut says no

A ribbon-cutting ceremony in Pakistan turns comic after Pizza Hut declares the outlet fake and unauthorised

January 21, 2026

Pizza Hut says ‘unauthorised’ after Pakistan minister cuts ribbon

Pakistan defence minister opens Pizza Hut — Pizza Hut denies knowing about it

Pakistan may be battling economic stress, security challenges and diplomatic isolation — but it briefly achieved what few nations can: inaugurating a Pizza Hut that doesn’t exist.

In a ceremony complete with floral décor, a red carpet and flashing cameras, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confidently cut the ribbon at what he believed was a brand-new Pizza Hut outlet in Sialkot’s cantonment area. There was only one small problem — Pizza Hut had no idea about it.

Moments after photos and videos of the event went viral, the American fast-food giant issued a statement clarifying that the outlet was “unauthorised, fraudulent and definitely not ours,” instantly turning the grand inauguration into a national meme.

Though the outlet proudly displayed Pizza Hut’s iconic red-roof logo, eagle-eyed internet users noticed that the Sialkot branch was mysteriously missing from Pizza Hut Pakistan’s official store list — a detail apparently overlooked by everyone else, including the defence establishment.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif inaugurates a fake Pizza Hut in Sialkot. pic.twitter.com/Us2GAKVDs3
— TRIDENT (@TridentxIN) January 21, 2026

Pizza Hut disowns the pizza — and the politics

“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 company said, gently but firmly pushing the minister’s ribbon-cutting into the realm of fiction.

The statement added that the outlet follows none of Pizza Hut International’s recipes, quality checks, food safety standards or — judging by events — basic verification processes. The company said it has lodged a formal complaint with authorities to stop the misuse of its trademark.

Brand says ‘not our pizza’

Internet does what it does best

Social media wasted no time roasting the episode, with users mocking the spectacle of a defence minister inaugurating a restaurant that the restaurant itself refuses to acknowledge.

“One ribbon cut, one clarification issued. That’s efficiency,” quipped one user.

Another joked, “When even Pizza Hut says, ‘This isn’t our slice.’”

A third summed it up brutally: “Only in Pakistan can a defence minister open a fake Pizza Hut and no one notices until Twitter does.”

An Urdu post captured the mood succinctly:
“Kuch asli baki reh gaya hai ya nahi?” — Is anything real left anymore?

The episode has since been hailed online as Pakistan’s most accurate metaphor: grand ceremonies, loud optics, and a product that turns out to be fake.

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