Who is Ibrar Shahid and why did he leave Pakistan Idol?

Pakistan Idol has landed in a major controversy after contestant Ibrar Shahid suddenly left the show. The production team of Pakistan Idol has rejected all allegations, but the issue continues to gain attention.

Ibrar Shahid publicly claimed that the production created an environment that felt unfair, discouraging, and emotionally overwhelming. He said he walked out during the December 9, 2025 shoot and even filmed his journey to the studio to keep everything clear.

Shahid, a National College of Arts (NCA) student who quickly became a fan favourite, said he left the set “by my own choice” during the December 9 shoot and will not appear in upcoming episodes. In a long video shared online, he talked about what he called the “final straw” that made him quit the competition.

“Today is December 9, and we had a shoot. But you will not see me in the forthcoming episodes because I left the set today,” he said, explaining that he had recorded his whole trip to the studio. He added that “Pakistan Idol had uploaded a video of me, under which I commented saying this was not my real voice. It was heavily autotuned, so much so that it didn’t sound like me anymore.”

According to Shahid, things became worse afterward. “A lot of people called and told me to take down my comment… since day one they didn’t want to keep me in Pakistan Idol. I don’t know why. Is it my fault that I want to make good music?”

He also claimed that the “person helming the show” warned him about possible legal action if he talked publicly. “But I will talk, and I will tell everyone the truth,” he said. Shahid accused the team of exploiting contestants and said they had already “disqualified all the good contestants.”

Shahid said the experience deeply affected him. “Everything you see on camera is a facade. And I can’t act. None of my performances have been scripted — unlike Pakistan Idol,” he claimed. While he praised the judges as “great,” he said the production’s behaviour had “broken” him and disappointed those supporting him, including his teachers and classmates at NCA.

“I know the step I’ve taken is going to create problems for me… but now you guys wait and see the power of the people,” he concluded.

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