Pakistan's Miss Universe Contestant Erica Robin Facing Hate: Erica Robin, a 24-year-old Christian hailing from Karachi, Pakistan, has written history as she became the first-ever Miss Universe contestant to represent the nation at the upcoming 72nd Global Miss Universe Pageant this November in El Salvador.

The model was crowned the winner of the inaugural 'Miss Universe Pakistan' on Thursday in the Maldives by defeating the other four talented contestants, including Hira Inam (24), Jessica Wilson (28), Malika Alvi (19), and Sabrina Wasim (26), for the prestigious title.

Her victory marks a significant milestone in Pakistan's participation in one of the longest-running international beauty contests. However, her selection has ignited massive outrage in the Muslim-majority country, highlighting the complexity of her representation and its society's deep-rooted orthodox approach.

This should be a moment of pride for the country, but the beauty pageant ignited a fierce debate while Erica is receiving massive backlash. Pakistan's debut in Miss Universe is being strongly condemned in a nation that predominantly follows Islam, underscoring its conservative practices.

Such beauty contests are a rarity in Pakistan and are viewed by some as contradictory to the cultural norms and values of Islam. Therefore, the first-ever Miss Universe Pakistan event is receiving backlash from a segment of the population.

The event was organised by a Dubai-based company, Yugen Group, after acquiring the rights to the competition. As per reports, the company owns the franchise rights to Miss Universe Bahrain and Miss Universe Egypt.

Why is Miss Universe Pakistan receiving hate?

Pointing out that Robin's selection cannot be approved as it does not align with the country's Islamic norms, Pakistani conservatives have expressed their displeasure. Senator Mushtaq Ahmed of the Jamaat-e-Islami party went on to call it "shameful".

Meanwhile, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul-Haq Kakar has ordered the country's intelligence agency to investigate the organisers of the Miss Universe Pakistan pageant.

Further, an Islamic scholar from Pakistan, Taqi Usmani, tweeted, "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 the impression disappear (sic)."

Ansar Abbasi, a Pakistani right-wing commentator and columnist, said in a tweet, "Who allowed five Pakistani girls to represent Pakistan in Miss Universe beauty pageant? Prime Minister Kakar @anwaar_kakar, this decision of the cabinet or a ministerial advisor? Can anyone represent Pakistan without the permission of the Government of Pakistan? (sic)"

What has Erica Robin said?

Speaking to the BBC about representing Pakistan, Erica said, "It feels great to represent Pakistan. But I don't understand where the backlash is coming from. I think it is this idea that I would be parading in a swimsuit in a room full of men."

She started her modelling career in 2020.

She then insisted that she had done nothing wrong. "I'm not breaking any law by representing Pakistan on a global platform. I am doing my bit to quell any stereotypes about it."