Having won the title at Beihai resort in southern China, wowing crowds there and alarming conservatives in Pakistan. A few Pakistani women in the past have ventured to compete in beauty pageants but none had gone this far in terms of unsheltered territory.
The Houston girl has created a frenzy by participating in an international bikini contest and even landed a prize. Mariyah represented Pakistan at the pageant. She received a trophy, plus cash in the Best in Media section for being the most photographed and interviewed girl in the entire pageant.
Mariyah was among 47 other participants who paraded at the Great Hall of The People. The candidates, all aged between 18 and 25, paraded before the cameras representing their countries. Mariyah was crowned Queen Pearl and received $5,000 in prize money. The second and third place earned the title Miss Pearl and received $3,000 and $2,000 respectively, according to the pageant's organising committee.
This is the second award Mariyah has received in her pageant career after she was titled Miss Charity at the Miss Tourism Queen International pageant in July 2006.