In a historic first for Pakistan, 24-year-old Erica Robin has been crowned as the country's very first 'Miss Universe Pakistan.'
Competing against a lineup of impressive contestants, Erica emerged as the winner in the Maldives. She is now set to represent Pakistan at the 72nd Global Miss Universe Pageant, scheduled for November 2023 in El Salvador.
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Expressing her thoughts on this significant achievement, Erica shared, "I am honoured and humbled to be the first-ever Miss Universe Pakistan, and I want to highlight the beauty of Pakistan. We have a beautiful culture that the media is not talking about. Pakistani people are very generous, kind, and hospitable."
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She added, "On top of that, I would like to invite everyone to visit my country and try the most sumptuous Pakistani cuisines and explore our enchanting nature, our snow-capped mountains, our greenery, and our progressive landscapes."
Who is Erica Robin?
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Born on September 14, 1999, Erica Robin hails from a Christian family in Karachi, Pakistan. Her journey to this milestone began when she started her professional modelling career in January 2020.
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She swiftly made her mark, gracing the pages of DIVA Magazine Pakistan's July 2020 issue. Erica's modelling portfolio includes collaborations with renowned Pakistani fashion brands such as Khaadi, Zara Shahjahan, Sania Maskatiya, Elan, and Sana Safinaz.
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Remarkably, alongside her modelling career, Erica took on a role as an Assistant Manager at an IT consulting firm in Karachi, in August 2020.
Controversy surrounding the beauty pageant:
However, Prime Minister Anwaar-Ul-Haq Kakar has directed the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to probe who organized the beauty contest and authorized Pakistan's representation in the Miss Universe pageant.
The IB's report revealed that a business group based in Dubai, Yugen Publishing and Marketing, obtained the rights/license to represent Pakistan in the 2023 contest.
They initiated a website (houseofyugen.com) and invited Pakistani women aged 24-28 to apply from March 4, 2023. The Yugen Group in Dubai is sponsoring the event, with Josh Yugen serving as the national director of Miss Universe Pakistan.
The Yugen Group also partnered with the voting app ‘Choicely’ to allow pageant fans to vote for their favourite candidates, with voting closing on September 13, 2023.
The winner will represent Pakistan in the Miss Universe pageant, competing with more than 60 countries.
The investigation into this matter continues, with Pakistan's caretaker Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting emphasizing that the government and state of Pakistan are solely represented by state and government institutions, with no non-state or non-governmental entity authorized for such activities.
