A MUslim girl has won the Earth Miss Pakistan title. She has won despite the ban by pakistan on beauty contests and women parading in a bikini.Pakistan is the other face of India. Though sharing a common inheritance through the Raj, Pakistan has become an Islamic nation where women crimes are under the Sharia. This was the " gift" of General Zia Ul Haq who introduced the Hooded Ordinance. By this statute, all crimes against women were taken out of the purview of the Pakistan Penal code and put under Sharia. The Pakistan constitution also bans a woman from being president of Pakistan.
By corollary, beauty contests and pageants are also banned. There are also sad tales like the killing of model Qandeel Baloch
Miss Pakistan
A brave group of women and men supporters led by Sonia Ahmed has however defied the prevalent atmosphere and started holding Miss Pakistan beauty contests As with all such contests a session in a bikini is also included. Muslim girls from Pakistan have been taking part in these contests. The pageant is now into its 13th year and is invariably held in Canada or the USA. The contest is recognised as representative of Pakistan and winners of the Miss Pakistan contest represent the country at International pageants.
Ramina
This year a 19-year-old girl from Sind Ramina has won the title.
She will represent Pakistan at the Miss World contest to be held later this year. She is the 14th Pakistani girl to have won the title and the 9th who will represent the country in a world beauty pageant. Ashfaque has spent most of her early years in the US.Her parents are Muslim and Pakistani. She has one sister and currently attends school.
She also models as a hobby.Ramina has given a dozen shots in a bikini and proves Pakistan girls are second to none.
Future
Pakistan is in the throes of an Islamic revival, but there are many who represent the progressive face of the nation. Pakistan is also the hotbed of terrorism and the country is a death wish with almost regular attacks by terror organisations intent on destabilising the country.
In such an atmosphere girls like Ramina alleviate the distressing all around atmosphere.The contest has no dearth of participants and is a window to Pakistani girls to come out of the cloistered world of the burkha.
