ISLAMABAD — Prominent Pakistani actor, director and TV personality Yasir Hussain sparked debate in the majority-Muslim country after suggesting that pornography should be legalized there and society should own up to so many Pakistanis being already habitual consumers.

Speaking candidly on a popular video podcast hosted by Ahmed Ali Butt, Hussain referred to widely rumored data suggesting that Pakistanis are among the top watchers of adult content in the world, with some people even believing that the country supposedly even topping the list.

Hussain then said, “Why not legalize porn and let the government and people make money from it.”

His statements were quickly sensationalized by the local media, which framed it as Hussain having “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 “he neither watches nor has any interest in creating adult content 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 overwhelmingly opt to use VPNs and other methods to bypass them.