Update: Erica Robin was crowned Miss Universe Pakistan at a ceremony held in the Maldives on Thursday.
The finalists for the first-ever Miss Universe Pakistan have been revealed.
The five contestants were selected from a pool of more than 200 applicants from around the world, organisers said. They also took part in a photoshoot in the Maldives, wearing outfits by Filipino designer Furne One whose Amato label is based in Dubai.
A winner will be crowned on Thursday, who will then represent Pakistan at the global Miss Universe pageant, to be held in El Salvador this year.
Now in its 72nd year, Miss Universe is one of the longest-running and most-watched beauty contests.
"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," said Josh Yugen, the national director of Miss Universe Pakistan. "But moreover, she is carrying the riveting stories of more than 210 million Pakistanis from all over the world."
Yugen's company, Yugen Group, which is based in Dubai, also owns the franchise rights to Miss Universe Bahrain and Miss Universe Egypt.
Here are the Top 5 finalists for Miss Universe Pakistan 2023 in alphabetical order.
⋅ Erica Robin, 24, is a fashion model in Pakistan. Despite the challenges of belonging to the country’s minority Christian group, she says she has worked hard to become "the best version" of herself. She wants to be an instrument to see positive change in Pakistan and wants to highlight the country's diversity, and be an advocate for education and women's empowerment.
⋅ Hira Inam, 24, says success is her goal in life and "seeing the highs and lows of success is the ultimate realisation of one’s full potential". She hopes to raise funds and awareness through education for the marginalised in Pakistan and help alleviate poverty.
⋅ Jessica Wilson, 28, is a cyber security engineer, which she believes makes her a great problem solver. She's also a travel junkie, public speaker and performing artist. For her, the new Miss Universe Pakistan must be able to speak eloquently, and be a leader and trailblazer for other women.
⋅ Malyka Alvi, 19, is the youngest finalist. She believes success is defined by the multiple identities one can embody. A Pakistani-American, Alvi is a student, entrepreneur, content creator, dancer and fashion designer. She wants to show the world that Pakistani women are capable and natural leaders.
⋅ Sabrina Wasim, 26, is a property consultant, choreographer and an event host. It was a meeting with Miss Universe 2022, India's Harnaaz Sandhu, at an event she was hosting that motivated Wasim to apply for Miss Universe Pakistan. Wasim wants to change the narrative about Pakistani women and erase the stereotype of them being oppressed and controlled. She wants to highlight that women from Pakistan are strong, vibrant, bold and deserving to have a seat in a room where their voices are heard and their opinions matter enough to drive change.
As with Miss Universe Bahrain, Yugen Group has partnered with voting app Choicely to give pageant fans the chance to help advance their favourite candidates.
The contestant with the most votes on mupakistan.choicely.com will be awarded a perfect 10 score, which will be added to the final score of the judges. Voting is open until 7pm on Wednesday.
The coronation 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. A month-long event will culminate in a glitzy finale on November 18, when current title holder R'Bonney Gabriel from the US will pass on her crown.
