Roma Riaz, the current Miss Universe Pakistan 2025, has improvised a strong and very emotional answer to the persistent online body-shaming and colourist comments that were primarily coming from her own country. Riaz, who is destined to showcase Pakistan at the international level, has had to bear with nasty remarks labeling her as “dark” and “fat” by some people from her country who were asking if she “looks Pakistani enough.”
The statement she made through a viral social media reel was an outright refusal to capitulate to the narrow colonial beauty standards that continue to haunt South Asian societies. This movement has opened up a very important national debate on identity, self-acceptance, and the toxic practice of pulling down one’s own representatives.
Challenging Colorism and Identity
The primary criticism of Riaz was her complexion, which brought to light the issue of colorism that is widely practiced in Pakistan, where fairer skin is mistakenly regarded as beautiful and a sign of higher social class. Roma Riaz took a stand against this bias and stated, “I’m not sorry for being the way my people are.”
She claimed to be Pakistani “in her genes, in her morals, and in every color of her skin,” and by this, she was saying that her skin color is the same as that of the women who have been the backbone of the country. She considered herself a part of the new South Asian womanhood that has come up which does not accept the old, inherited standards of beauty that are so limited.
The Call for National Positivity
Riaz took advantage of her platform to make her appeal to the critics of the country’s image directly. She expressed her dissatisfaction that even though she keeps on speaking about the good image of Pakistan abroad, still she gets questions about the reason her own people are so negative toward her.
She pleaded with the Pakistanis not to desecrate the image she is trying to create by asking them to remain silent if they do not have anything positive to say. In the end, the strong message of Roma Riaz not only us through the pageant but also turned her personal attack into a heroic call for cultural change, self-love, and a more extensive and accepting definition of Pakistani beauty.
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A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
