Natasha Paracha, Miss Pakistan World 2008 to speak at the NRP Summit

Natasha Paracha, Miss Pakistan World 2008 will be the first Miss Pakistan World to be speaking at the NRP Summit in New York at the Roosevelt Hotel on the 23rd of August 2008.

Natasha Paracha, Miss Pakistan World 2008 and Chairman Pakistan Affairs, UN International Renewable Energy Organization for the United Nations will speak along Imran Khan (Leader of Tehreek-e-Insaaf and Mohammad Mian Somroo (Ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan) at the NRP Summit in New York on the 23rd of August 2008. Other notable speakers include: Masood Jabbar, Hussain Haqqani, Imran Khan, Hasan Naqvi, Sheheryar Azhar, M Saud Anwar, Imran Khand, Dr. Imran Shah, Dr. Hina Chaudhry, Sadiq H. Zaidi, Shahid Khan

Miss Paracha graduated from the University of California Berkeley in 2005 with honors in Political Science and Business. She was the founding member of the Pakistani Students Association at UC Berkeley in 2002. Natasha Paracha is also the founder of a non-profit called Vision of Development in which the goal is to reach out to the poverty stricken regions in Pakistan. She was recently crowned Miss Pakistan 2008 and will be representing Pakistan internationally this November in Miss Earth which will be held in Manila, Philippines. Miss Paracha is the Chairman of Pakistani Affairs with the International Renewable Energy Organization at the United Nations. Natasha’s main aim is to implement various renewable energy projects in Pakistan: Sugar Cane for Ethanol, Wind Farms, Solar Energy, Clean Water, and Reuse of Fried Oil.

Natasha Paracha is the sixth Miss Pakistan World and will be representing Pakistan at the Miss Earth beauty pageant in November this year. Natasha believes in bringing Pakistan on the map in the world of beauty pageants. In her words Natasha said that Pakistan has a lot to give in the entertainment industry and that there are a lot of talented people in Pakistan. Natasha firmly believes that beauty pageants are one way for the women of Pakistan to express themselves, and that it provides a strong platform for young women to showcase their talent.

Natasha Paracha from Islamabad

Photo by Wali Portraits

Natasha Paracha from Islamabad has been crowned the new Miss Pakistan World in an annual beauty pageant which, according to its founder, would enable Pakistani women "to stand up for change and progression" in a society that frowns on such events on its soil. The 23-year-old graduate from the University of California at Berkeley replaces Mahleej Sarkari who created quite a stir last month when she called Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf a hunk and expressed a desire to date him. At the sixth annual beauty pageant at the weekend in Toronto, the gorgeous Paracha beat a bevy of Pakistani beauties to win the crown. She will now represent Pakistan at various international beauty pageants. Paracha, who is currently living in New York, founded the Pakistani Student Association at UC Berkley and later a non-profit Vision of Development which works for the uplift of women in rural Pakistan. After her crowning, she said her goal over the next year is not only to represent Pakistan at beauty pageants but also raise awareness that 51 million Pakistanis do not have access to medical care. Tahira Iqbal from Lahore, Nosheen Idrees from Jhelum, Binish Zaidi from Karachi and Samera Bilal from Gujrat (in Pakistan) were declared runners-up at the event. The pageant brought young Pakistani women from around the world to compete for the crown, which many view as anti-Islamic and an insult to Muslim women. "Pakistan's slow changing movement to liberate its women forbids such events from taking place on its soil. Thus, women who want to stand up for change and progression have no choice but make a trip to Canada to compete," said pageant founder Sonia Ahmed. "Pakistani women have always been forced to stay in the background. They have never had the opportunities to have their voice heard and stand for what they believe in. It was only after living in Canada that I realised that women really do have the power to make a difference and make a change,". "We have made history with Pakistan's 1st Miss Bikini- Mariyah Moten, Pakistan's youngest Miss Pakistan- Sonya Zia and now Sehr Mahmood going to Miss Earth. Pakistani women are the most beautiful in the world, but since Pakistan is not discovered yet; more emphasis is laid on this issue."