3 min readNew DelhiAug 26, 2026 12:30 PM IST
When Kaziah Liz Mejo was crowned Miss Universe India 2026, one congratulatory message came from across the border.
Misbah Arshad, who will represent Pakistan at the Miss Universe 2026 pageant, shared the Instagram post of the Miss Universe India Organisation with Mejo’s picture on her Instagram story and wrote, “Gorgeous! 😍 Congratulations! So well deserved! See you very soon in Puerto Rico! 🤗💖”
While the message was brief, it has brought attention to Arshad, who is herself no stranger to the international pageant circuit. So, who is the Pakistani beauty queen?
Who is Misbah Arshad?
Arshad is a Pakistani model, psychology student and beauty-pageant contestant. She was recently crowned Miss Universe Pakistan 2026 and will represent the country at the 75th Miss Universe competition in Puerto Rico on November 24.
Her academic background differs from the conventional pageant résumé. When she represented Pakistan at Miss International 2023, the official Miss International profile described her as a 26-year-old psychology major at Germany’s University of Hagen.
But pageantry has been a significant part of her journey, too.
Arshad was crowned Miss Pakistan World 2023 and went on to represent Pakistan at international competitions including Miss Aura International 2023 in Turkey and Miss International 2023 in Japan. Her appearance at Miss International was particularly notable as she became Pakistan’s first representative at the competition.
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Screenshot of Miss Universe Pakistan 2026’s congratulatory wish on her Instagram story
She later represented Pakistan at Miss Supranational 2024, adding another international pageant to her résumé.
Her Miss Universe Pakistan title, therefore, marks another step in an international pageant journey that began several years ago.
Now, she is headed to Miss Universe
Arshad was crowned Miss Universe Pakistan 2026 at a ceremony in the Philippines, succeeding Roma Riaz.
The upcoming Miss Universe competition will see her compete alongside representatives from across the world, including India’s Mejo, who won the Miss Universe India 2026 title in Jaipur on August 23.
Mejo, 19, is a law student from Kerala and became the first woman from the state to win the Miss Universe India title. She has also previously won Miss Teen Diva 2024 and finished as first runner-up at Miss Teen International 2025.
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Fashion enthusiasts all over are excited for their face-off on the Miss Universe stage on November 24 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with Arshad representing Pakistan and Mejo representing India.
