Misbah Arshad crowned Miss Universe Pakistan 2026

Psychology student Misbah Arshad has been crowned Miss Universe Pakistan 2026 at a ceremony in the Philippines, earning the chance to represent Pakistan at the global Miss Universe competition.

Arshad secured the title after impressing the judges during the final question-and-answer round. Filipino singer and actor Bailey May asked her which version of herself she would find harder to answer — her 10-year-old self or her 80-year-old self.

Arshad chose her 10-year-old self, saying her younger self would want to know how her life had turned out. She said she would tell her younger self that she had faced failures many times but always found the strength to start again. She also stressed the importance of accepting and enjoying life's ups and downs.

After her victory, former Miss Universe Pakistan Roma Riaz placed the crown on Arshad, while franchise owner Josh Yugen presented her with the official winner's sash.

Arshad is no newcomer to international beauty pageants. She previously represented Pakistan at Miss International 2023 in Japan and Miss Supranational 2024 in Poland. She has said that success is not defined by winning a crown alone, but also by learning from failure, improving oneself and building meaningful connections with others.

Arshad will now represent Pakistan at the 75th Miss Universe competition, scheduled to be held in Puerto Rico.

The Miss Universe Pakistan franchise was launched in 2023. Erica Robin became the first Pakistani representative under the franchise and reached the Top 20 that year. Noor Zarmine represented Pakistan in 2024, followed by Roma Riaz in 2025.