Pakistan’s Got Talent has revealed the judges for its first-ever season.
You have probably seen a version of it on your feed. A nervous performer walks onto a big stage, faces a row of celebrity judges, and within minutes the crowd is on its feet and a golden buzzer is going off. That is the Got Talent format, the most-watched talent franchise on the planet. It has now arrived in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Got Talent is gearing up for its first-ever season, and this week the show finally revealed who will sit behind the judges’ desk. The names were dropped one by one on the show’s official Instagram, setting off a wave of excitement among fans waiting for the local edition to take shape.
The show comes to Pakistan through Pixel Entertainment, which signed a deal with the global media company Fremantle to bring the franchise home. It will air on Geo TV. For the first time, performers across the country have a shot at a stage that already exists in dozens of other markets around the world.
Auditions are open nationwide through the official portal, pgtauditions.com. Applicants fill out a form, list the kind of act they do, and upload two clips, one of the performance and one introducing themselves. The categories are wide open. Singing, dance, comedy, magic, martial arts, acrobatics, beatboxing, and stunts all make the list, with an “other” box for anything that does not fit. Applicants must be residents of Pakistan and show valid identification. Acts involving animals need proof of vaccination, and pyrotechnics are not allowed.
Rizwan Siddiqui, CEO and co-founder of Pixel Entertainment, framed the launch as a way to reach performers who rarely get noticed. He said the goal was to unlock the talent sitting in cities, towns, and villages across the country and put it on a global stage. The show is one of several reality revivals the company has worked on lately, alongside a second season of Masterchef Pakistan, the rap competition Rap Icon Pakistan, and the local version of Shark Tank.
Pakistan’s Got Talent: Who are the Judges?
The panel was unveiled through a string of mystery reveals on the show’s Instagram account. Comedian Tabish Hashmi was announced first, then actor Mehwish Hayat, and singer Ali Zafar last. Each judge comes from a different corner of the entertainment world, which gives the desk a spread across music, film, and comedy.
Ali Zafar
Ali Zafar is one of Pakistan’s biggest pop exports. He broke out with his 2003 debut album Huqa Pani and its single “Channo,” which sold millions of copies and made him a household name. He later moved into acting and became one of the first Pakistani leads to break into mainstream Hindi cinema. In 2018 he launched his own production house with the box-office hit Teefa in Trouble, which he starred in and produced. He has five Lux Style Awards to his name. In his reveal, the show called him a name that needs no introduction.
Mehwish Hayat
Mehwish Hayat brings box-office weight to the panel. She is among the highest-grossing actors in Pakistani cinema, with hits like Jawani Phir Nahi Ani, Punjab Nahi Jaungi, and Load Wedding. She started on television before moving to film and built a reputation for taking on strong, layered roles. The government awarded her the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in 2019 for her contribution to the arts, and she reached international audiences through the Marvel series Ms. Marvel. In her reveal, she said talent lives in every street, city, and home, and pushed people to step forward.
Tabish Hashmi
Tabish Hashmi rounds out the panel with comedy and hosting. He made his name on the digital talk show To Be Honest, which became one of the first Pakistani internet shows to move to television. He went on to host Hasna Mana Hai on Geo TV, a comedy talk show that crossed a billion digital views. Known for quick humor and easy back-and-forth with guests, he is the lighter presence the format leans on between acts. As the first judge revealed, he set the tone by telling people of all ages to audition.
How the Got Talent Format Became a Global Hit
The Got Talent format was created by Simon Cowell and is owned by Fremantle. The first edition, America’s Got Talent, premiered in 2006, with Britain’s Got Talent following in 2007. From there it spread fast. By 2014, Guinness World Records named it the most successful reality television format in history. Versions now run in more than 70 countries.
The pull of the format is its simplicity. There is no age limit and no limit on the kind of act. Singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and acts that defy any label all share the same stage in front of a panel of judges and a live audience. The variety is the point, and it has produced global breakout stars, from Susan Boyle to Paul Potts, who walked in as unknowns and left as names.
For Pakistan, the arrival of the franchise opens a door that local television has rarely offered. With the audition portal live and the judging panel set, the focus now shifts to the performers who sign up and what they bring to the stage.
