Women participating in Miss Universe Pakistan 2023 anger top cleric, caretaker setup

Following five Pakistani women's decision to partake in a beauty pageant contest, the caretaker government and a prominent cleric have spoken against the inclusion of Pakistani nationals and announced to distance themselves from any such activity.

On Wednesday, Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi announced that the government did not nominate any individual to represent the country at a beauty contest of “Miss Universe.”

The statement came after the minister responded to a senior journalist’s question on the social media platform ‘X’, asking who in the government had given permission to the five contestants for participation.

“The Government and the State of Pakistan are represented by the state and government institutions,” Solangi noted.

“Our government has not nominated any non-state or non-governmental person or institution for any such activity, nor can any such person or institution represent the state or government,” he clarified.

حکومتِ اور ریاستِ پاکستان کی نمائندگی ریاست اور حکومت کے ادارے کرتے ہیں۔ ہماری حکومت نے کسی غیر ریاستی اور غیر حکومتی فرد یا ادارے کو ایسی کسی سرگرمی کیلیے نامزد کیا ہے اور نہ کوئی ایسا شخص/ادارہ ریاست/حکومت کی نمائندگی کر سکتا ہے۔
ختم شد۔ https://t.co/rW5XGi2bV1

— Murtaza Solangi (@murtazasolangi) September 13, 2023

The criticism also came from a prominent Karachi-based religious cleric, Mufti Taqi Usmani, who wondered how “low” the nation will stoop?

Usmani took to platform X and stated, “There is news that five young ladies will represent Pakistan in the international beauty pageant. If this is true, how far will we go? Let this impression [of Pakistan] vanish.”

جنگ کی خبر ہے کہ پانچ دوشیزائیں عالمی مقابلہ حسن میں پاکستان کی”نمائندگی" كرينگی اگر یہ سچ ہے تو ہم کہاں تک نیچے کرینگے؟ حکومت اس خبر کا فوری نوٹس لیکر ذمہ داروں کے خلاف کارروائی کرے اور کم ازکم ملک کی “نمائندگی” کا تاثر زائل کرے

— Muhammad Taqi Usmani (Official) (@muftitaqiusmani) September 13, 2023

This occasion marks the first time that Pakistan will be represented on an international level beauty contest, however, the criticism and shunning of a women empowering platform taints the country's reputation.