Singer Falak Shabir has expressed support for the music reality show Pakistan Idol. The show has garnered plenty of praise along with controversies about some singers not allowing contestants to use their songs. 

 

Taking to Instagram, Falak announced that all Pakistan Idol contestants are free to perform any of his songs during the competition.

 

“I give Pakistan Idol permission to use all of my songs so that rising singers can have a platform to shine and represent Pakistan globally,” he wrote. “I fully support the judges and all the talented participants of Pakistan Idol.”

 

 

His statement came shortly after veteran singer Sajjad Ali revealed that participants are not allowed to perform his songs due to a copyright dispute with the show’s organizers.

 

During a press conference in Canada, Sajjad Ali said that the Pakistan Idol team had approached him to secure the rights to his music, but both parties failed to agree on financial terms. He noted that the limited selection of licensed tracks has affected the variety of performances, as “every contestant wanted to sing our songs,” and those who did “would receive significant admiration and possibly win the competition.”

 

According to Pakistan’s Copyright Ordinance of 1962, song rights are owned by the creator unless officially licensed or transferred. Any public performance or adaptation without permission is considered a legal infringement.

 

Sajjad Ali mentioned that most of the show’s licensed catalog comes from EMI Records, Pakistan’s oldest record label, which holds rights to the works of legendary artists like Noor Jehan, Mehdi Hassan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Strings, and Vital Signs.

 

The disagreement has prevented contestants from performing Sajjad Ali’s popular songs but has also reignited debate over copyright ownership, artist rights, and creative opportunities in Pakistan’s music industry.