Bilal Maqsood
Bilal Maqsood is a Pakistani songwriter, composer and Strings co-founder who makes solo music and creates Pakkay Dost, an Urdu puppet show for children and families.
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Bilal’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Overview
- Based in
- Karachi, Pakistan
- Work
- Songwriter, composer, guitarist, producer and puppeteer
- Started
- Co-founded Strings in 1988
- Breakout
- Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar, 1992
- Studied
- Communication design at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture
Mini bio
How it started.
Bilal met Faisal Kapadia at Government Commerce College in Karachi and co-founded Strings in 1988. Their 1992 song Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar brought the band a wider audience. After a break for studies, Bilal and Faisal returned as a duo and built a catalogue that included Duur and Dhaani.
Behind the music.
As Strings’ guitarist and composer, Bilal worked closely with Faisal and with his father, writer Anwar Maqsood. The duo also produced four seasons of Coke Studio. Bilal later became executive producer and co-director of Velo Sound Station before Strings concluded its 33-year run in 2021.
A new audience.
After Strings, Bilal released solo music and original Urdu nursery rhymes. In September 2023 he launched Pakkay Dost, a puppet show built around songs, stories and Urdu learning. He has said the idea began when his son was born and he struggled to find the kind of Urdu children’s songs he wanted him to hear.
What he makes now.
Pakkay Dost has grown through sign-language interpretation with ConnectHear, Sindhi-language music and a UNICEF collaboration about early childhood development. Alongside the show, Bilal judges Pakistan Idol and continues releasing solo songs, including O’re Saajna in 2026.
Creditschronological, newest first
Music
- 2026O’re SaajnaVocals, composition, lyrics and music-video puppeteering
- 2025Pakkay Dost Season 3Performing artist; collaborations with Asim Azhar and Shehzad Roy
- 2025Sindhi Nursery RhymesCo-artist with Narodha Malni; songwriter, composer and producer
- 2022Naya NayaSolo artist
- 1988–2021StringsCo-founder, guitarist, composer and vocalist
Shows and production
- 2025–2026Pakistan IdolJudge
- 2025Bachpan BemisaalCo-creator with UNICEF
- 2023–presentPakkay DostCreator and producer
- 2020Velo Sound Station, season oneExecutive producer and co-director
- 2014–2017Coke Studio, seasons 7–10Co-producer with Faisal Kapadia as Strings
Awards
Quotes
I see myself first as a composer and music director.Bilal Maqsood, Instep
In a March 2026 interview, he explained how he thinks about his role across singing, composition, production and direction.
Trivia
- He studied communication design before building a career that also includes directing music videos and painting.
- He performs the puppetry for BM, the puppet version of himself in the O’re Saajna video.
- The idea for his Urdu children’s programming dates back to the birth of his son, years before Pakkay Dost launched.
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