Pakistan's First Miss Bikini

President Gen Musharraf’s idea of “Enlightened Moderation” may not have caught up in Pakistan yet, but it definitely seems to have encouraged some Pakistani repatriates to break the Desi and the Islamic barrier. For the first time a Pakistani girl has participated in an International beauty pageant overcoming the traditional barriers of the conservative Islamic nation. Houston-based Pakistani-Muslim Mariah Moten (22) represented Pakistan at the “Miss Bikini of The Universe” pageant held in Beihai, a summer resort city in South China. Mariah won the “Best in Media” title (trophy plus sash) as being the most photographed and interviewed girl in the entire pageant. Since the pageant she has been on Zee TV, Khaleej Times, China Daily, Hang Zhou Newspaper, and various other newspapers in China and elsewhere. Mariah was born and brought up in Karachi, Pakistan and moved to the U.S.A with her family 8 years ago. Presently she is studying Hotel Management at the University of Houston in Texas, where she did her high schooling. The Bikini winner was crowned “Queen Pearl” and received USD 5,000 in prize money. This is the second award Mariah has received in her pageant career; she won “Miss Charity” at the Miss Tourism Queen International pageant in July 2006. What a leap towards modernization I must say!