Islamabad, Sep 30 (IANS): The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) issued a clarification on Friday after being called out for announcing dress code for the cabin crew and air hostesses, media reports said.

"Despite the fact that the spirit behind the advisory was to ensure proper dress code, the standard bulletin, inadvertently, came out with an inappropriate selection of words," the chief human resource officer of PIA said in a written clarification, Geo News reported.

The national carrier had told its aircrew that wearing undergarments underneath the uniform was a must. PIA had claimed lack of proper attire by the air attendants was leaving a "poor impression" and "portrayed a negative image" of PIA.

However, the announcement received massive backlash from the masses as they felt the words used were "inappropriate".

On Friday, the national carrier withdrew the letter keeping in view the revulsion caused by the bulletin.

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

In the previous notification, PIA General Manager (Flight Services), Aamir Bashir, had 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 had asked the cabin crew to "dress properly" in formal plain clothes over "proper undergarments".