Pakistan Idol has been pushed into major controversy after contestant Ibrar Shahid abruptly left the show.
The Pakistan Idol has shut down the allegations. He publicly claimed the production created an environment that felt unfair, discouraging and emotionally overwhelming. Shahid said he walked out during the December 9, 2025, shoot and filmed his journey to the studio to document the moment clearly.
Shahid, a National College of Arts (NCA) student who quickly became a fan favourite, said he walked off the set “by my own choice” during the December 9 shoot – and will not appear in upcoming episodes.
In a lengthy video shared online, he explained what he described as the “final straw” that led to his decision to leave 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 began, explaining that he had filmed his entire journey to the studio that day. “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, what followed was a wave of pressure from the team. “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 claimed the “person helming the show” even warned him of potential legal action if he spoke publicly or to the media. “But I will talk, and I will tell everyone the truth,” he said, alleging that the team “exploited” contestants and had already “disqualified all the good contestants”.
Shahid added that the experience had shattered his trust. “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 alleged behaviour had “broken” him and disheartened those supporting him, including his teachers and peers at NCA.ax
“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.