New Delhi: For the first time in its history, Pakistan has a Miss Universe contestant. But the bigger question is whether Pakistan will make it difficult for her to take part. The crowning of Karachi-based Erica Robin at a resort in the Maldives has the caretaker government hopping mad and fundamentalists outraged. From Prime Minister Anwaar-Ul-Haq Kakar to the foreign office to the intelligence bureau—Pakistan’s administration is looking into how this ‘disaster’ unfolded.
It turns out that the government had not given permission for the country to have a Miss Universe Pakistan. Now, the prime minister has asked the foreign office to look into this because the company that organised the glitzy event is based in the UAE.
On the one hand, 24-year-old Robin invited everyone to visit her home country, and “try the most sumptuous Pakistani cuisines and explore our enchanting nature, our snow-capped mountains, our greeneries and our progressive landscapes.” But on the other hand, the government has directed the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to investigate who was arranging the contest using Pakistan’s name.
The Miss Universe Pakistan competition is held by a Dubai-based Yugen Group, which also owns the Miss Universe Bahrain and Miss Universe Egypt franchises.
Religious scholars and senate members of Pakistan have set aside concerns of the economic crisis, electricity shortage, rising debt and losing to Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 to focus on Robin and Miss Universe Pakistan. Many have called it a “shameful act” and an “insult and exploitation of women of Pakistan”.
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A perturbed government
The Intelligence Bureau, in its report to the PM, said that, “the rights/licence to represent Pakistan in the 2023 contest have been obtained by one Yugen Publishing and Marketing — a business group based in Dubai,” according to The News, a Pakistani daily.
According to the IB report, these participants of Pakistani descent were chosen from a pool of 200 applications from around the world.
“In Dubai, [the] Yugen Group is sponsoring the event, and one Josh Yugen is learnt to be the national director of Miss Universe Pakistan,” the report stated.
According to the Miss Universe Organisation (MUO) website, ‘national directors’ are commercial entities/companies that apply to the MUO for franchises for a specific country. These licensees do not need approval from the government of that country and merely need to bring nationals from that country to the competition.
Prior to the win, Josh Yugen, said that for the “first time in the history of the biggest competition of its kind, one empowering woman will carry the name of Pakistan across her heart”, ARY News reported.
Murtaza Solangi, Caretaker Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, took to X (previously Twitter) Wednesday and wrote, “the government and state of Pakistan are represented by state and government institutions. No non-state or non-governmental individual or institution has been designated by our government for any such activity, and no such person/institution can represent the state/government.”
The issue was also raised by religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani on X, who demanded the government to “take notice” of the situation and “take action against those responsible as well as desist itself from the matter.”
Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan tweeted asking the government to clarify their position and “stop this ridicule and humiliation of Pakistani women”.
“It is shameful to prepare young women for the “Miss Universe” pageant and organise the “Miss Pakistan” pageants. This is an insult to Pakistan. Women of Pakistan are insulted and exploited…,” he wrote.
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Miss Universe Pakistan
Meanwhile, Robin is inviting everyone to see the generous and friendly side of Pakistan.
“We have a beautiful culture that the media is not talking about. Pakistanis are extremely friendly, generous, and welcoming.” she said.
Robin will represent Pakistan globally at the Miss Universe pageant to be held in El Salvador in November this year.
After her win, Robin had said she was “honoured and humbled to be the first-ever Miss Universe Pakistan” and wanted to highlight the “beauty of Pakistan.”
Local news outlets, however, reported that the Miss Universe Pakistan event has been marred by controversy, with social media indignation over Pakistan’s entry in this year’s Miss Universe competition and the government rejecting clearance for such a contest and representation.