Islamabad, Pakistan — 30.06.2026 — Singer-songwriter and peace advocate Aneesa Sheikh has responded to the controversy surrounding Miss Universe Pakistan’s interview-round judging by standing for anti-bullying and dialogue over division and by refusing to be blamed for questions that pageant fans around the world have raised.
After the interview round, two judges returned starkly different scores one awarding Aneesa 9.2, another giving her a 6. That stark contrast of opinion sparked confusion across pageant fan pages, which began to question the judging including a panel that this year features last year’s titleholder, crowned the same year Aneesa withdrew in the final rounds and to call on the organisation for clarity.
As one of the contestants at the centre of the conversation, Aneesa found herself at the front of the questions and accusations coming from global pageant fans. Rather than engage in the dispute, she stayed focused on training and on showing up stronger, and asked the organisation for clarity on the judging criteria. “I took the scoring as an opportunity to improve and keep going — to get sharper and stronger,” she said.
In a video, Aneesa said she is not responsible for pageant followers critiquing the judging but that she can choose to lead with kindness and encourage respectful dialogue. “I can’t control what the whole world says,” she said. “But I can lead with kindness, and I can ask that we treat each other with respect.”
It raises a question she keeps returning to: when the world speaks, why is one person to blame? “We can ask hard questions and still choose dialogue over division,” she said.
The stance reflects the advocacy Aneesa has built through her mental-health platform, Music 4 Miracle, and her work against bullying. She said she remains focused on the competition ahead and on supporting her fellow contestants. “I want us to be able to disagree without tearing each other down,” she said. “That’s the example I want to set.”
About Aneesa Sheikh
Aneesa Sheikh is a singer-songwriter, triple gold medalist figure skater, performer, and an advocate for dialogue over division as a means of peace and anti-bullying. She is the founder of Music 4 Miracle, a platform she has spent years building to support mental-health awareness and stand against bullying through music.
