Pakistani actress and television host Fiza Ali has sparked intense backlash following controversial remarks she made about senior journalist Sohail Warraich during a recent Eid special episode of Dunya News’ program On the Front with Kamran Shahid. The segment, intended to be lighthearted, quickly turned contentious when Fiza was asked to humorously suggest alternative careers for the show’s guests.
While her comments about other panelists—such as calling analyst Irshad Bhatti a “tailor” for wearing tight shirts and joking that journalist Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami would be a “chef” for “spicing up” conversations—were taken in jest, her statement about Sohail Warraich crossed a line for many viewers. She claimed that if he weren’t a journalist, he would be “cleaning women’s washrooms in a foreign hotel or restaurant,” insinuating that he frequently enters women’s restrooms during interviews.
دنیا ٹی وی پر کامران شاہد کے عید شو میں ایک پہلے سے رٹے ہوئے سکرپٹ کے ذریعے فضا علی کے ہاتھوں سہیل وڑائچ صاحب کی اس طرح تذلیل کیا محض اتفاق ہے؟#DunyaNews #SohailWaraich #FizaAli #KamranShahid #EidulAdha2025 #EidMubarak #FOMO #Tejas #incredible #Trump #LoveGuru #IrshadBhatti pic.twitter.com/Fz4BHFJi7s
— 𝕾𝖍𝜶𝖒𝖎 𝕮𝖍𝖔𝖜𝖗𝖎 (@SChowri) June 9, 2025
The clip of her remarks went viral on social media, drawing widespread condemnation. Critics accused Fiza of being disrespectful not only to Warraich but also to sanitation workers by implying that their profession was degrading. Many pointed out that Warraich is a highly respected journalist with decades of experience, making the joke appear particularly crass. Social media users expressed disappointment, with some calling the remark “shameful” and demanding an apology.
Sohail Warraich, known for his composed demeanor, responded gracefully on X (formerly Twitter). Instead of retaliating, he wrote: “My status is even lower than toilet cleaners. I am the dust of the streets, as Mian Muhammad Bakhsh called ‘galiyan da roda kooda.’ Cleaning toilets is not humiliation—it’s a noble service to clean others’ filth.” His dignified reply earned praise, with many commending his humility and restraint.
My status is even below than toilet cleaners: I’m a street dirt as Mian Muhammad Baksh called himself” galian da rora kora” cleaning toilet in my view is not insult as cleaning dirt of others a noble service https://t.co/PKebchqOzA
— Suhail Warraich (@suhailswarraich) June 9, 2025
The Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ) issued a strong statement condemning the incident, calling it a “planned insult” to senior journalists. They demanded an immediate public apology from Fiza Ali, host Kamran Shahid, and Dunya News, threatening protests if their demands were not met. Critics also questioned the show’s editorial judgment, arguing that such segments encourage disrespect under the guise of entertainment.
Meanwhile, debates continue online about the limits of humor in media, with some defending Fiza’s comments as harmless jokes while others stress the need for professionalism. As of now, neither Fiza Ali nor the show’s producers have issued an official response, leaving the controversy unresolved.
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