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Fawad Khan and Bilal Maqsood confirmed as judges for upcoming Pakistan Idol reboot

Fawad Khan and Bilal Maqsood confirmed as judges for upcoming Pakistan Idol reboot

They will be joined by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Zeb Bangash on the panel.
04 Aug, 2025

Pakistan Idol is returning to television well over a decade after its original airing in 2014, and Fawad Khan, Zeb Bangash, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Bilal Maqsood have been confirmed as panelists.

The show — the 50th international adaptation of the British franchise — aired on Geo Entertainment from December 2013 to April 2014, was received well by audiences. Judged by Ali Azmat, Bushra Ansari and Hadiqa Kiani, the show’s finale had a million votes cast in an intense showdown that ended with Zamad Baig winning the competition.

The upcoming reboot is a project of Pakistani media company MHL Global and Freemantle, the rights distributor for the Idol franchise. Speaking to Variety, MHL Director Zoya Merchant said, “Pakistan has incredible musical talent, and this platform will not only spotlight it nationwide but elevate it to the global stage.” In a bid to reach more audiences across the country’s many linguistic and geographical regions, the company said it plans to air the show simultaneously on five different networks, a first for any Idol franchise.

Online auditions are underway on the Begin platform; in-person casting calls will be conducted later in major cities and some remote locations in Pakistan to allow for a diverse mix of contestants. Production is expected to begin later this year, with broadcast details and premiere dates to be announced.

Comments

Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Aug 04, 2025 01:25pm
Bring it on.
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Nick Aug 04, 2025 02:04pm
Panelists are bunch of stooges :)
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Taj Ahmad Aug 04, 2025 02:24pm
Great team work, let’s go for it.
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Laila Aug 04, 2025 04:12pm
Well at least while Mr Rahat Fatah Ali Khan is on stage he won't be abusing his staff/assistant as was revealed in media (when he was in the US and abused his assistant hotel and somebody recorded and leaked it. Later a staged photo op was created to appease the outraged awaam). There should be security to keep him from manhandle contestants.
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ahsan Aug 04, 2025 04:13pm
no one else other than has beens?
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Janmun Aug 04, 2025 06:07pm
The first Pakistani version was in 2007 not 2014 and the edition written in this article was in 2013.
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glen Dabreo Aug 05, 2025 01:23am
It takes a stooge like you to recognize another. Brother what have you done lately to change the world of stooges?
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js Aug 05, 2025 03:43pm
What's the point of this show when there is no music industry? We don't need shows to discover talent, there's plenty of it going around. We need music industry infrastructure: record labels, concert halls, local music radio shows/podcasts, etc. Support the artists that exist instead of giving us more talent that has nowhere to go after the show ends.
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