ISLAMABAD — Prominent Pakistani actor, director and TV personality Yasir Hussain has sparked debate in the majority-Muslim country by suggesting that pornography should be legalized there and that society should own up to so many Pakistanis already being habitual consumers.
Speaking candidly on popular video podcast “Excuse Me!” hosted by entertainer Ahmed Ali Butt and released on Saturday, Hussain referred to online reports suggesting that Pakistanis are among the top watchers of adult content in the world, and that the country may even top the list of porn-viewing nations.
Hussain then said, “Why not legalize porn and let the government and people make money from it?”
His statements were quickly sensationalized by the Pakistani media, with one outlet noting that Hussain had “once again found himself at the center of a media storm” over his proposal.
Hussain, who is married to one of Pakistan’s most popular entertainers, Iqra Aziz, said that he personally does not watch adult content and has no interest in creating it, but “noted that the consumption of such material is prevalent,” the Pakistani Daily Times reported. “He pointed out that some stage plays already flirt with adult themes, hinting at a cultural tolerance that could be monetized.”
The Daily Times report editorialized that Hussein’s proposal “has opened a broader discussion on the regulation of adult content in Pakistan, a country often in the news for high consumption rates of such material despite stringent laws.”
Repressive anti-porn laws — such as Pakistan’s, China’s and the copycat “age verification” state laws being passed in the U.S. — make it virtually impossible to get accurate data on quantity and kinds of porn consumption, as many consumers opt to use VPNs and other methods to bypass them.