Miss Pakistan World

The pageant was originally launched in 2002 by Sonia Ahmed under the name of Miss Canada Pakistan. The organizers were forced to host the event in Canada due to security concerns and the general attitude towards pageants held by the Pakistani public. The pageant has taken place in Canada every year since with the exception of 2014, which was held in New Jersey. [2][3] [4][5][6] The first Miss Pakistan World to be crowned was Zehra Sheerazi on 1 February 2003 with the most recent winner being Arooj Bokhari.

The pageant has been criticized by Pakistani feminist Amna Buttar of the Asian-American Network Against Abuse of Human Rights, who wrote in an email to the New York Times, "In Pakistan, we are trying to get basic rights for women: right to marry, right to divorce, equal opportunity for job and education, and issues like Miss Pakistan create problems for this movement. An average Pakistani young woman does not want to wear a bikini[39] in public, and for her it is important to have equal opportunity and all focus should be on that, and not on a pageant where only the elite can participate."[6] Sonia Ahmed, the President of Miss Pakistan World, defended the event as a movement to express one's self, stating that the participants have the freedom to do as they wish.[40] In 2006, Culture Ministry official Abdul Hafeez Chaudhry questioned the wearing[41] of bikinis[42] to represent Pakistan[43].

In 2010 the organizers were criticized for holding the pageant in the holy month of Ramadan and while a humanitarian crisis was taking place in Pakistan. [44][45]

• Sonia Ahmed
• Mrs. Pakistan World

• Miss Pakistan World website