"Pakistan has incredible musical talent"
Pakistan Idol is returning more than a decade after its original run ended, bringing new energy and big names to the iconic show.
The singing competition is being revived by MHL Global, which recently acquired format rights from Fremantle, the international distributor of the Idol franchise.
It is set to premiere with a high-profile judging panel, which includes Fawad Khan, Zeb Bangash, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, and Bilal Maqsood.
The show originally aired on Geo Entertainment from December 2013 to April 2014 and became a pop culture moment in Pakistan.
It’s only season crowned Lahore-based singer Zamad Baig as the winner after an intense finale that drew over one million votes.
The previous panel consisted of Bushra Ansari, Hadiqa Kiani, and Ali Azmat.
All of them brought a mix of criticism and encouragement to the platform.
Despite buying the rights back in 2007, Geo TV struggled with production and only managed to launch Pakistan Idol six years later.
It became the 50th global adaptation of the British series Pop Idol.
This time, the strategy is far more ambitious.
MHL Global will broadcast the show across five different television networks, a move no other Idol version worldwide has attempted before.
The idea is to reach audiences from all linguistic and regional backgrounds, uniting the country through shared musical discovery.
Zoya Merchant, director of MHL Global, said:
“Pakistan has incredible musical talent, and this platform will not only spotlight it nationwide but elevate it to the global stage.”
She also called the revival “a cultural movement”, rather than just a return to televised entertainment.
Fremantle’s support for the project signals confidence in the Pakistani market’s potential to sustain large-scale reality formats.
By assembling a panel with crossover appeal, spanning pop, qawwali, and folk, the show seems primed to appeal to all generations.
This version also arrives at a time when reality-based music content has made a comeback globally, fuelled by digital participation and social media influence.
While no premiere date has been announced, buzz around the revival is already picking up speed on local entertainment pages.
Whether the new Pakistan Idol can replicate the original’s impact remains to be seen, but the groundwork is certainly set for a high-stakes return.
Loading ...