Sonia Ahmed

Sonia Ahmed (Punjabi/Urdu: سونیا احمد) (born 23 August 1980), is a Kuwaiti-born-Pakistani and founder of Miss Canada Pakistan Inc., also known as Miss Pakistan World,[1][2] Mr. Pakistan World[3][4] and Mrs. Pakistan World[5] that were first held in 2002 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[1] In 2021, she established the Miss Trans Pakistan[6][7] pageant where she was the pioneer of trans women of Pakistan being represented in beauty pageants.

Sonia Ahmed
Born (1980-08-23) 23 August 1980
Sharq, Kuwait
EducationUniversity of Ottawa Bachelor of Business
OccupationBeauty Pageant Organizer
WebsiteOfficial website

Biography

Sonia Ahmed was born in Kuwait to Arain[8] Punjabi father and her mother from Karachi, Pakistan. She spent her childhood in Kuwait. Ahmed is a certified accountant.[9] She views herself as a progressive working to liberate Pakistani women and showcase the beauty and talent of the new Pakistani generation.[10][11][12][13][14][15]

In 2002,[16][17] Ahmed[18] created a beauty pageant called Miss Canada Pakistan and changed its name to Miss Pakistan World in 2006.[19][20][21][9][22] She created Mrs. Pakistan World in 2007, for married women of Pakistani descent.[23][24] She created Mr Pakistan World in 2011, and moved the event to New Jersey, USA in 2014.[25][26]

In 2014, Ahmed filmed her first documentary, "I Shall Dance,[27][28]" under her production company, Touchgate Global Inc., which was released in September 2014 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[29]

On May 25, 2021, during the pandemic, Ahmed created the first Miss Trans[30] Pakistan[31] for trans women[32] of Pakistani[33] descent.

Filmography
Year Film Role Language Notes
2014 I Shall Dance[27][28] Director/Producer/Writer Urdu/English Ahmed's first documentary feature film

Controversies

Ahmed faced opposition[34][35] on her holding the pageant from some conservative sections of the community. However the opposition soon ended. [36][37][38] In August 2010, Ahmed was criticized for going ahead with the 8th annual Miss Pakistan World during the month of Ramadan and while Pakistan faced a humanitarian crisis[39] due to widespread flooding.[40]

See also

References
  1. "Pakistan May Not Be Ready For Its Beauty Queen". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  2. "DIVERSITY WATCH - Media - 2003 Archive". Diversitywatch.ryerson.ca. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  3. Inc, TouchGate Global. "American Pakistani Kevaan Hasnain wins Mr. Pakistan World 2020". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  4. "The newly appointed Mr. Pakistan World 2021 is Syed Shah". Its South Asian. 2021-03-29. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  5. "Porter: This beauty queen has brains and bite". 14 January 2010.
  6. "Is change really in the air for Pakistan's transgender community? | Opinion". Newsweek. 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  7. NewsDesk (2021-05-24). "Shyraa Roy Crowned Miss Trans Pakistan 2021". Oyeyeah. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  8. Times, Parliament. "Sonia Ahmed: Our Real Hero - Daily Parliament Times". www.dailyparliamenttimes.com.
  9. "Pakistani beauty pageant aims to celebrate womanhood". Indianexpress.com. 5 December 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  10. "Celeb talk: The world at her fingertips". Khaleejtimes.com\Accessdate=15 November 2014.
  11. "Miss Pakistan World". Tribune.com.pk. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  12. "Pak beauty pageant organiser sick of hypocrite Pakistanis". Zee News. 19 July 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  13. "Pakistani beauty queen opposes deal on Shariah law". Mid-day.com. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  14. "Crowning glory for 'Miss Pakistan' beauty pageants". Theasaintoday.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  15. IANS. "Stop Sharia laws, kick out Taliban nomads: Miss Pakistan World". siliconindia. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  16. "Crowning glory for 'Miss Pakistan' beauty pageants - Features, Sports". 6 December 2006.
  17. "Miss Pakistan Sonia Ahmed". Retrieved 2021-12-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - The Tribune Lifestyle". www.tribuneindia.com.
  19. "Pakistani beauty pageant aims to 'celebrate womanhood'". 5 December 2011.
  20. ""Miss Pakistan World is a step towards showing a different Pakistan" – Sonia Ahmed". 25 March 2010.
  21. "Pakistani Canadian kills daughter over hijab". dna. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  22. Archived December 9, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  24. "Farah mahmood - Pakistan gets its Mrs. Pakistan World 2013 - Farah Mahmood". Newswire.ca. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  25. "Pakistan shines in Mr Ocean 2017". 30 November 2017.
  26. "2014 Miss Pakistan World Pageant coming to Edison". Archived from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  27. "I Shall Dance – A film by Sonia Ahmed". Archived from the original on 7 July 2014.
  28. "I Shall Dance (2014)". IMDb. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  29. "I Shall Dance: A documentary on dance in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan". Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  30. "Sialkot Born Singer Actress Shyraa Becomes First Miss Trans Pakistan | Daily Outcome".
  31. "Model and singer Shyraa Roy selected as Pakistan's first Miss Trans Beauty Queen". 26 May 2021.
  32. https://images.dawn.com/news/1189978/becoming-miss-trans-pakistan-turned-shyraa-roys-life-around-and-she-wants-the-same-for-her-community
  33. "Shyraa Roy, Miss Trans Pakistan 2021". 22 May 2021.
  34. "Beauty and belief: a balancing act" – via The Globe and Mail.
  35. "Pakistani beauty pageant to go ahead". 19 August 2010.
  36. "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - The Tribune Lifestyle". www.tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  37. "DIVERSITY WATCH | Media | 2003 Archive". 2011-06-06. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  38. "Crowning glory for 'Miss Pakistan' beauty pageants - Features - The Asian Today Online". 2014-11-29. Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  39. "Organizers criticized for running Pakistani pageant in wake of flood disaster" – via The Globe and Mail.
  40. Waheed, Alia (2010-08-19). "Miss Pakistan World pageant's timing causes dismay". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
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