Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif sparked controversy after inaugurating a “Pizza Hut” outlet in Sialkot on January 20, when the global food chain issued a statement a few hours later saying the branch was not affiliated with the brand.
In an official statement, Pizza Hut Pakistan said the Sialkot Cantt outlet was unauthorized and was using the Pizza Hut name and branding without permission. The company clarified that the outlet has no legal or operational connection with either Pizza Hut Pakistan or its parent company, Yum! Brands. The statement also noted that the outlet did not adhere to international standards, recipes, food safety protocols, or operational guidelines of Pizza Hut.
Pizza Hut Pakistan added that a formal complaint had been filed with the relevant authorities to prevent misuse of its trademark. Following the company’s statement, photos of Khawaja Asif at the inauguration went viral on social media, prompting sarcastic comments and questions from users.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif just inaugurated a fake Pizza Hut outlet in Sialkot 😃 pic.twitter.com/sLPnQuBGqi
— Adeel Raja (@adeelraja) January 20, 2026
دھوکہ دہی پر جعلی پیزا ہٹ والوں کےخلاف کارروائی تو ہونی چاہئے، مُلک کے وزیر دفاع کو ہی چونا لگا دیا۔۔!! pic.twitter.com/XyADd0PipK
— Khurram Iqbal (@khurram143) January 21, 2026
وزیر دفاع خواجہ آصف بھی معصوم ہی ہیں، جعلی پیزا ہٹ کے افتتاح سے پہلے چھان بین تو کرنی چاہئے تھی۔ pic.twitter.com/c1QCYX291k
— Adil Nizami (@AdilNizami10) January 21, 2026
Anchor Adil Nizami wrote on social media platform X that “Defence Minister Khawaja Asif is also innocent here; there should have been due diligence before inaugurating a fake Pizza Hut.”
Journalist Khurram Iqbal also called for action against the alleged “unauthorized” outlet. Several users noted that the Sialkot outlet is not listed on Pizza Hut Pakistan’s official website or store list. According to the company, Pakistan currently has 16 authorized Pizza Hut stores—14 in Lahore and 2 in Islamabad.
There is a false and misleading narrative circulating on social media claiming that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif inaugurated a “fake Pizza Hut” in Sialkot. This claim is completely incorrect.
— Team Khawaja Asif (@Team_KhawajaMA) January 20, 2026
However, a Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) supporter on X claimed, “The outlet’s inauguration was carried out at the personal request of the franchise, with Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and senior PML-N leadership attending. I personally visited the outlet on Sunday and placed a takeaway order. Interestingly, the point-of-sale system used for billing was clearly under the Pizza Hut name, and the packaging and sauces appeared completely genuine, suggesting that the business operations were legitimate.”
In response, Khawaja Asif’s team issued a statement on X, saying: “It is misleading and incorrect to suggest that the Defence Minister inaugurated a fake Pizza Hut.”
The statement added that “Pizza Hut in Pakistan operates through multiple authorized franchise partners, including Yum! Foods and Max International. The Sialkot outlet is run under Max International and is fully legal and authorized.”
