Talat Hussain says offensive viral clip was edited out, not aired on Samaa TV
November 04, 2025: Talat Hussain denies airing the viral clip showing Sher Afzal Marwat’s vulgar remark, saying it was not part of his Samaa TV show.
JournalismPakistan.com | Published 4 years ago
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ISLAMABAD—Attempts to control the media always lead to more problems than they solve, The News noted in its editorial 'The media is united' published on Monday.
Terming the PMDA a black law, the paper highlighted that every credible media organization, union, rights network, progressive association in the country, from PFUJ to APNS to CPNE to AEMEND, PBA, HRCP, PBC, and SCBA had rejected it.
"There are bad laws, very bad laws, and draconian laws," the paper said, emphasizing that "The PMDA falls in the last category, the sort of step only authoritarian regimes make to keep the press muzzled."
According to the paper, the PMDA is a throwback to the kind of media restrictions Pakistan has seen during its worst dictatorships – proposing to merge the host of media laws in force in the country, and bringing print, television, radio, films, social media and digital platforms under one 'regulatory' body.
"The PMDA and the Media Complaints Commission are essentially an attempt to silence what little Pakistan's journalism has left in terms of the ability to speak out and represent all the people of the country, including dissenting voices."
The paper emphasized that the media in Pakistan stands united against a regressive, authoritarian, and dangerous law for media freedom in the country.
The paper urging the Ministry of Information to review this proposed media martial law concluded, "Perhaps Prime Minister Imran Khan could prevail upon his own government and remember his own words regarding media freedom and the role of 'regulation.'"
November 04, 2025: Talat Hussain denies airing the viral clip showing Sher Afzal Marwat’s vulgar remark, saying it was not part of his Samaa TV show.
November 03, 2025: PFUJ recalls November 3, 2007, as Pakistan’s darkest day under Musharraf, urging protection for journalists and the abolition of laws threatening press freedom.
November 02, 2025: PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.
November 02, 2025: Impunity for crimes against journalists deepens worldwide as Pakistan reports a 60 percent surge in attacks and weak enforcement of safety laws.
November 01, 2025: Pakistan Press Foundation reports 137 attacks on journalists in 2025, highlighting rising threats, legal harassment, and censorship on the International Day to End Impunity.
November 01, 2025: A viral Samaa TV clip featuring MNA Sher Afzal Marwat’s crude remarks and Talat Hussain’s laughter raises questions about the declining ethics of Pakistani television.
October 31, 2025: Police foiled a plot to kill DawnNewsTV journalist Tahir Naseer in Rawalpindi after arresting suspects hired for Rs200,000. Naseer says threats followed his reporting.
October 31, 2025: CPJ calls on Pakistan to bring Imtiaz Mir’s killers to justice after the journalist was allegedly murdered by a banned militant group in Karachi.

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