Former Miss Universe Pakistan, Roma Riaz, has spoken out strongly against online bullying after she became the target of hate during the selection process for this year’s pageant. Riaz is now serving as a judge to help choose her successor.
In an open letter shared on Instagram, Riaz said no crown “is worth hatred.” She explained that she had faced a wave of online harassment after giving her scores to one of the top 20 finalists, Aneesa Sheikh, who is competing again this year after not making the top 20 last year.
Riaz said she became the target of a paid and orchestrated campaign of online harassment, with male supporters of the finalist questioning her ability as a judge and even sending threats against her. She added that a true queen never encourages harassment or hate to push her own ambitions forward, and that real leadership is shown through how people treat others.
She made clear that the threats would not be tolerated and warned of legal action if they continued, tagging Punjab Police and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in her post. Riaz also said her judging was based only on official Miss Universe criteria, not online pressure. She ended her message with advice for young girls, urging them never to believe that bullying is the price of ambition.
Josh Yugen, owner of the Miss Universe Pakistan franchise, also responded, saying kindness and respect should never be optional for future queens.
