It wasn’t until earlier this year that we caught wind about Lahore-based model Madeeha Naseer who won ‘big’ at Miss Asia Pacific International receiving the much-coveted title of Miss Perpetual. We didn’t know who she was or where she had come from, and that is particularly the reason why many of us found the news difficult to digest.
Madeeha, better known as Diya Ali, has been hell-bent upon chasing her modeling dreams ever since she made herself known five months back and into the industry. With no patronage or any sort of brand endorsements, she is all set to represent Pakistan at the upcoming competition in Kosovo. Diya has also pinned her dreams on winning the Miss World International 2017 honor.
Diya Ali is an MBA in Finance who decided to try her luck at modeling out of sheer passion. “It is an honor to represent Pakistan in a contest where so many beautiful women will compete with each other. Although I have no cooperation from the government and my modeling journey could be short-lived, I am excited to be nominated,” she told the Express Tribune.
According to the rising model, Miss Asia Pacific International and Face of Arabia contest were the stepping stones in her career. She says that it was competitions like these that helped her ‘build her confidence’ and ‘learn the know-hows of modeling’.
For Diya, ‘education, confidence, and planning are what make a model of today. “I believe these are qualities that make one truly beautiful. I’m trying to attain basic knowledge about this profession because that is extremely important. I have been traveling to different countries and meeting international models who have participated in Miss World International before. I have also been learning different things about our culture to be able to answer questions and interact confidently.“
“Modelling is my current profession but I am willing to start acting in the future. International film offers are my priority and I strongly believe I will be offered more of them. With faith, struggle and hard work, one can achieve everything and this is exactly what I’ve set out for.“
While admitting that she encountered many hurdles while auditioning for Miss World International, Diya was quoted as saying, “I am thankful to my friends and family for supporting me. Representing Pakistan on an international level is a bold move for any model but I promise the people of my country that I will never do anything that goes against our culture. I am confident I will earn another honor for Pakistan.“
