The news of Pakistani women entering the Miss Universe contest caught the attention of Pakistani social media a few days ago. Recognizing the strong disapproval from the people, the government has officially disowned the competition.
The Prime Minister (PM) has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to establish communication with the UAE government concerning a private company that has been hosting a beauty pageant using Pakistan’s name.
Strong Opposition to the Use of Pakistan’s Name
Mufti Taqi Usmani raised a concern, urging the government to be watchful and hold those responsible accountable.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan from Jamat-e-Islami expressed his thoughts on the situation on X, describing it as a shameful act for Pakistan and a disrespectful and unfair treatment of Pakistani women.
The Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting clarified on social media that only the official government bodies represent Pakistan. He also mentioned that the federal government has not permitted unauthorized persons or groups to act as government representatives.
How Did It Happen?
The Prime Minister has directed the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to look into the organization responsible for the pageant and how they use Pakistan’s identity to gain worldwide attention.
According to the IB’s report, a business group based in Dubai, Yugen Publishing and Marketing, has obtained the right to represent Pakistan in the 2023 contest. They have launched a website, houseofyugen.com, where they invited applications from Pakistani women aged 24 to 28.
This application process began on March 4, 2023. Interestingly, the Dubai-based group also has the franchise rights for Miss Universe in Bahrain and Egypt.
Furthermore, the IB’s investigation revealed that the Pakistani participants were selected through a voting process from a list of 200 applicants from around the world. The winner among the five contenders was announced during a September 14, 2023 ceremony.
