“I think I still haven’t wrapped my head around everything that’s happened this year. It’s been very fast moving and my whole world has been changed.” That’s what reigning Miss Universe Pakistan Roma Riaz told me when I asked how it felt to be on the tail-end of an eventful year with the crown.
Only the third beauty queen to represent Pakistan at Miss Universe, Riaz is currently in the process of helping choose her successor. So, I sat down with her to ask what exactly she’s looking for.
Riaz is heading to the Philippines to crown the next Miss Universe Pakistan. The organisation has already shortlisted 10 contenders from a large pool of applicants. The finalists include one contestant chosen by the Miss Universe organisation, six chosen by a panel of judges — which Riaz is a part of — and three chosen by the public. The winner will get to represent Pakistan at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico later this year.
“We are just looking for a good girl with a good heart and passion for the progress of Pakistan,” she said, adding she was surprised by just how much of the emphasis was on beauty on the inside.
“When I won, the first thing I asked my national director was, why me? And his words have always stuck with me because he said to me, ‘You can teach a girl how to walk, you can teach a girl how to wear dresses and put on heels, but you can’t teach her how to have a good heart.’ So above everything, that is true beauty and that is what Miss Universe always looks for.”
