Pakistan is on the verge of a historic first as the Miss World 2026 festival in Vietnam heads toward its grand final, with Anniqa Meraj set to become the country's first-ever official representative at the pageant in its 75-year history.
A Milestone 25 Years In The Making
According to Miss Pakistan World, the ambition to send an official Pakistani delegate to Miss World dates back to when the organization was founded in Toronto in 2002, but the country remained ineligible for years because its national pageant wasn't held on Pakistani soil. That changed in 2020 when the competition relocated to Lahore, eventually clearing the path for this year's milestone appearance.
Meet Pakistan's Representative
The 24-year-old Meraj, a business and economics graduate pursuing a master's degree in accounting and auditing, was crowned Miss World Pakistan 2026 at a ceremony in Lahore earlier this year. She has previously competed in several other international pageants, including Miss Earth, Miss Global and Miss Cosmo, and has said she hopes to use the platform to advocate for children's rights and girls' education back home.
A Mixed Reaction At Home
The announcement has sparked a notably divided response within Pakistan, with many praising Meraj's education and composure as a positive representation of the country, while others have raised objections rooted in cultural and religious concerns about pageant participation. The debate has kept the story trending across Pakistani social media in the run-up to the final.
The Festival's Final Stretch
The 75th anniversary edition of Miss World, running from early August through the grand final in Nha Trang, features 111 entrants and marks debut appearances for several countries alongside Pakistan, including Eritrea, the Maldives and Mozambique. Whatever the outcome, organizers say Pakistan's presence alone marks a symbolic close to one of the last remaining gaps in the country's participation across major global pageants.