SEHR MAHMOOD

 

 

Interview by: Héctor J. Colón González

What do you think are the most important qualities to win the Miss World crown?

 

I feel that it is very important to have an international perspective in life as the winner of Miss World has a lot of responsibilities endowed on her which require her to interact with people and cultures from all over the world. Thus being cosmopolitan, sensitive, tolerant, and diplomatic and having an understanding of world affairs would be essential qualities to possess in order to win the crown.

 

 

If you had the chance to promote Pakistan abroad, what traits about your country would you emphasize and why?

 

I am proud of the diverse talent, culture and traditions that serve as the foundation of the country I represent. I would promote this diversity to other countries and cultures so as to highlight the many areas that we excel in, in order to help further advance our people in the global society. Culture and tradition are the fabric and glue that hold a community together, and I have recognize that within our society it is these aspects that have helped us progress in different parts of the world where our communities exist.

 

Being able to share activities and beliefs with one another helps to create strong bonds which create positive outcomes in all areas of life, whether it be in work, family and relationships, and in interacting with other communities. There are many countries that have similar foundations and it is also a great opportunity to learn about other cultures as we promote our own, in order to create greater awareness in society.

 

 

 

 How do you define the role of women in your country at this moment?

 

Pakistan is the first Muslim country to elect a woman (Benazir Bhutto) as a Head of Government. Women are now being represented in politics and in upper-middle-class professions. Nevertheless, within Pakistan, there are wide diversities and divergences between provinces and territories, and between urban/metropolitan areas and remote rural localities.

 

While Pakistani women continue to struggle for advancement, they have made strides by a number of measures. Among these are the rising numbers of women in well-paid professional occupations and increased activism by feminist groups. Women in Pakistan have progressed in various fields of life such as politics, education, economy, services and health. It is difficult to define the role of women objectively as there are numerous roles for women to play from the modern women to the traditional women. Nevertheless both serve a vital purpose in Pakistani society and complement each other. I firmly believe that women should be recognized beyond their traditional domestic roles and be seen as seen as aspiring, intelligent and capable individuals.

What kind of profession would you like to pursue?

 

I plan on pursuing a career as an investment banker after completing my MBA in Finance. I know that a good education is vital as it contributes to opening doors and opportunities to advance in our careers. Having worked in the financial services industry for the past two years, I feel that its time to do my masters now and fortify my capacity to successfully compete in the global business world we reside in.

 

 

How has your family influenced your life?

 

My family has influenced me in every aspect and been there for me, providing me with advice and supporting me as well as standing by me in respect to every decision I chose to make. They have been source of energy and equilibrium in my life and have shaped me into what I am today and instilled moral values and taught me to be a hard working, self sufficient and responsible individual.

 

 

If you had the opportunity to fulfill a dream for your country at this moment, what would it be and why?

 

In our current day and age, two of the biggest challenges faced by Pakistan are terrorism and poverty. Terrorism however is one which first needs to be resolved because it hinders the society's progress and development severely, in a sense crippling us from taking strides to eradicate poverty.  By solving the former, the effects on the latter will be positive. 

 

Terrorism not only causes the obvious physical destruction of people and infrastructure, it leaves people homeless, ill and uncared for, thus only aggravating an already grave poverty situation. Of course, we still need to focus on assisting the poor and eliminating poverty but we must also focus on removing terrorism. The analogy of a cup with holes comes to mind: once the holes are patched, only then will pouring water into the cup result in real progress and increased levels.  In this case terrorism is a hole in our society.