A red-faced Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was forced to issue a clarification on Friday after the state-owned carrier received much flak for its bizarre dress code for its cabin crew, instructing them that wearing undergarments underneath the uniform was a must.

On Thursday, PIA told its crew that wearing undergarments underneath the uniform was a must, saying that a lack of proper attire would leave a "poor impression" and "portrays a negative image" of the airline.

Not surprisingly, the diktat was massively criticised from several quarters, terming it as "inappropriate." The national carrier immediately withdrew the bulletin, due to the backlash it received, Geo News reported.

Barely 24 hours later, the airline, in an attempt to downplay the incident, came out with a carefully-worded clarification.

"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," PIA's Chief HR Officer said in a written clarification.

"I personally feel regretful and am fully convinced that the words could have been more civilised and appropriate in this context instead of words published, which, unfortunately, are being trolled and twisted towards the defamation of the company," he added.

In the previous notification, PIA General Manager Flight Services Aamir Bashir, in an internal instruction memo, said: "It has been observed with great concern that a few cabin crew tend to dress casually while travelling intercity, staying in hotels, and visiting various suffices." "Such dressing leaves a poor impression on the viewer and portrays a negative image of not only the individual but also of the organisation." Bashir asked the cabin crew to "dress properly" in formal plain clothes over "proper undergarments".

PIA is Pakistan's largest airline and operates a fleet of 30 aircraft.

The airline operates nearly 100 flights daily, servicing 18 domestic destinations and 25 international destinations across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America.