Five Pakistani women to compete in Miss Universe contest

KARACHI: For the first time in history, Pakistan will be represented for the title of “Miss Universe”, the world’s longest-running and most watched beauty pageant. The finalists of Miss Universe Pakistan have been announced. The top 5 finalists are 24-year-old Erica Rabin from Karachi, 24-year-old Hira Inam from Lahore, 28-year-old Jessica Wilson from Rawalpindi, 19-year-old US-born Malika Alvi and 26-year-old Sabrina Wasim from Punjab.

The five contestants, selected from a pool of more than 200 applicants from around the world, also took part in a photoshoot in the Maldives, dressed by Filipino designer Fern One, organizers said.

One of the five will be crowned as the winner, who will represent Pakistan at the Miss Universe pageant to be held in El Salvador this year.

Josh Ugen, National Director of Miss Universe Pakistan, said, “For the first time in the history of the biggest pageant of its kind, an empowered woman will carry the name of Pakistan in her heart.”

Yugen’s company, Yugin Group based in Dubai, also owns the franchise rights for Miss Universe Bahrain and Miss Universe Egypt. Here are the top 5 finalists for Miss Universe Pakistan 2023.

Erica Robin, 24, is a fashion model in Pakistan. A Christian, she says she wants to be an instrument to see positive change in Pakistan and highlight the country’s diversity, advocates for education and women empowerment. Hira Inam, 24, says success is her life’s goal. She hopes to raise funds and awareness and help end poverty through education for underprivileged people in Pakistan. Jessica Wilson, 28, is a cyber security engineer, also an avid traveller, public speaker and performing artist.

Malika Alvi, 19, is the youngest finalist. She believes that success is defined by the multiple identities that one can embody. Pakistani-American Alvi is a student, entrepreneur, content writer, dancer and fashion designer. She wants to show the world that Pakistani women are capable and leaders.

Sabrina Wasim, 26, is a property consultant, choreographer and event host. It was a meeting with Miss Universe 2022, India’s Harnaz Sindhu, which she was hosting, that inspired her to apply for Miss Universe Pakistan.

She wants to change the narrative about Pakistani women. She wants to highlight that the women of Pakistan are strong, dynamic, courageous and deserve to sit in a room where their voices are heard and their opinions count enough to bring about change.

Along with Miss Universe Bahrain, Yugen Group has partnered with voting app Choisely to give fans the chance to help advance their favorite candidates.

The contestant with the most votes at mupakistan.choicely.com will be awarded a perfect 10 score, which would be added to the judges’ final score. Voting will continue until 7pm on Wednesday.

The crowning is on Thursday at 7pm UAE time and will be shown on Miss Universe’s YouTube channel.

More than 60 countries have already named their representatives for Miss Universe 2023. The month-long event will culminate in a grand finale on November 18, when the current title holder, Urbani Nola Gabriel from America, will crown her successor.