Latest news with #Nidal
Express Tribune
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Onijah's love story: Will she return to Pakistan? latest interview
Listen to article Onijah Robinson, the American woman who travelled to Karachi a few months ago to find her internet love, has now finally returned to New York. Upon reaching New York, Onijah gave an interview to local media, where she discussed her travels from America to Pakistan and then to Dubai. Onijah clarified the news of her arrest in Dubai, stating that she wasn't arrested but had faced a situation that caused a delay in her return. 'I didn't go to jail, I was just stuck in Dubai. It was a situation I couldn't understand at the time,' said the American woman. Talking about Pakistan, Onijah shared that she had been in an online relationship with a Pakistani man. She said, 'We met through the internet.' When asked if she would return to Pakistan to find her missing online boyfriend, she vaguely responded, "We'll talk about it." Onijah further stated that she had no intention of returning to Pakistan and wanted to stay in New York. Her new interview video is rapidly circulated on social media. It is worth noting that the 33-year-old American woman arrived in Karachi on October 11, intending to marry 19-year-old Nidal Ahmed Memon. However, Nidal's family opposed the marriage, and he went missing. Nidal had also reportedlly levelled catphishing allegations against Onija. This unusual love story of the American woman caught the attention of social and local media, with several videos circulated on social media.
Express Tribune
23-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
180 days of Onijah
Knock, knock. Who's there? Onijah. Onijah who? Onijah who needs land and 100k dollah. A dramatic visit from an American lady to Karachi captured domestic and international attention for a good part of the new year. Onijah Andrews, 33, flew to Karachi in the hope of uniting with her long-distance lover – 19-year-old Nidal Memon. While Onijah became a prominent face across all digital and news media, Nidal was the most wanted man in the case, vanishing without a trace upon her arrival. Onijah did not take his rejection resignedly. She created a clamour in Pakistan that resounded all the way to her American homeland. She ain't goin' back without her husband, she protested. 'I'm Pakistani now, I'm a Muslim,' she declared to the public. And her plans to stay here or return to NEW YORK were nobody's business. Suddenly the metropolis' influential philanthropists got involved to coax and shame young Nidal to take care of her as per her claim she and Nidal were already wedded by Nikkah. What is this irresponsible joke you've made of an innocent foreign lady, the charity workers said in their public service messages to Nidal. But then again who can blame our fugitive romantic hero? Turns out he was a victim of catfishing. Allegedly, the American lady of his dreams (and most likely his dreams of a green card) had posed as a blonde and beautiful white woman throughout their online romance. The young man must have awaited the days of his union with her and the start of their life in the promised land with much excitement. Imagine how his dreams shattered when the woman who showed up at his door calling him husband was…well, Onijah. Let's put it this way, the leading lady of this torrid US-Pakistani affair has a personality that makes her looks redundant. Tiktok is awash with 'Onijah makeup tutorials' but you won't be using them until next Halloween. I hope we keep the memory of her alive till then. In her unforgettable appearances on camera in various locations in Karachi, she always had her head tightly covered with a hijab, her forehead – whiter than the rest of her skin – had thin eyebrows painted on, bright lipstick on her full and prominent mouth that spouted meme material only. Respecting the social mores of the Islamic Republic, her outfits covered her from head to toe, either in shalwar kameez or a loud printed coord set. She was serving looks for sure. When samaritan Ramzan Chhippa held a joint press conference with her, she was giving a smoldering vibe that turned angry quickly ('Lissen! You talk too much!' she snapped at him as he carried on in Urdu). When a tiktoker treated her some biryani and asked her if Pakistani people are good, she was not just cute and demure, she was somewhat high ('Mmmm I love y'all,' she murmured). Social media users who know nothing of Pakistani culture were impressed how the locals treated Onijah with only respect, not a shade of racism was detected in their interactions with her. But what of the elusive Nidal who got the shock of his life when he saw the African part of Onijah's American identity? Not only was she not white, she landed in Karachi almost penniless according to her claims. She told the press more than once that she did not have money to go back to the US. She also had a solution: the government should pay her. Nidal seemed to have no answers or ticket fare and thought best to vanish into thin air. Since Onijah was not going anywhere without him, his family must've threatened that somebody had to leave to make the problem disappear. In her visit to the metropolis, Onijah hit up the mandatory sightseeing spots: Jinnah International Airport, JPMC Jinnah Hospital and the parking lot of her lover's apartment building. (Her circuit of the city seemed to follow a true and gritty Lonely Planet Guide to Falling in Love in Karachi.) In between, the stages of unrequited love – flying high, getting depressed and being low on haemoglobin and being in denial and stalking her ex – she also graced a handful of press conferences. Onijah showed herself to be a natural public speaker. Clear and concise, entertaining no BS from the curious local mediapersons. Her demands were straight up non-negotiable. 'I want 2000 or mowe in my pockets by the end of the week,' was her starting bid. Her plight included demands of money upto 100k usd, land, a ticket back to the US and fixing the abysmal infrastructure and public transport in the city. 'It's ridiculous out here,' she observed with acumen. As residents, who among us has not had these demands? Can we disagree with her opinion about the state of Karachi? In a matter of months (she had been here since October last year), who can say this foreigner didn't assimilate the quintessential life of a Karachiite. What Onijah lacked in looks she made up for in sass and aplomb. Alone she faced the curious press of a foreign country and controlled the narrative she wanted to put out there. Despite a language barrier, as she did nor speak Urdu and the local reporters are not at all fluent in English, she aired her demands clearly and bluntly. What she didnt want to discuss, she kept to herself no matter how reporters pressed for information. "It's nonna yo business," she repeated her favourite phrase. "It's private. Now go home," she said simply. (Meme creators used these as pro tips on replying to nosy aunties who ask you when you will get married or have kids.) When she camped at Nidal's Garden West apartment complex, she resolved to not move until he met her. That was a 30-hour wait until she was cleared out. She also tried to stay in another building in the area to continue her stakeout but the administration threw her out. Once out on the streets, she was at the airport again, tiktokers and journos her constant patrons. She was taken into police custody, she made a cop friend Shabana. She was taken to JPMC to get her psych evaluation and sonogram. She introduced her doctors and police custodians as her entourage. She refused to go through immigration to return to the US. It didn't matter to Onijah where she was, she always called the shots. Karachiites were kind to her and heard her out. She helped the tourist ministry more than any other gora influencer employed by the past two governments. The hospitality and care she received was there for all to see and won the hearts of all Americans who followed the unfolding story with amusement. Onijah has finally returned home to her family now. But she has left a vacuum in the hearts of the Instagrammers and tiktokers who followed her daily. She lost Nidal but she found a place in the hearts of the residents of Karachi. Her eventful stay also encouraged many of her fellow Americans to visit Pakistan, a country where anything goes.
Express Tribune
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Ditched and betrayed, love-sick US woman refuses to go back home
KARACHI: "Love is blind" is a phrase spoken by Jessica, a character in William Shakespeare's play 'The Merchant of Venice.' And since then it has been repeated countless of times in romantic affairs. This phrase perfectly sums up the unrequited love of 33-year-old married American woman Onija Andrew Robbins, who fell for a Pakistani teenager online, left her two children in the States, and flew into Karachi to marry her love - only to be ditched and betrayed by him. "Call my husband Nidal," Robbins kept saying throughout Wednesday night as she sat in a chair in the parking lot of Ali Arcade apartment building in the Osmanabad area of Karachi. Robbins arrived in Karachi three months ago to be with 19-year-old Nidal Ahmed Memon, a resident of Garden West, claiming that they had already tied the nuptial knot online. Robbins was offered food by the building management staff and police, but she wouldn't eat anything. "Robbins stared blankly as she sat in the chair appearing unwell with swollen feet and an inhaler in hand," local resident Rafiq Ahmed, who was at a teashop opposite the building, told The Express Tribune. "Call my husband, Nidal," Robbins would repeat after a while. Police tried to console her, assuring her that efforts were being made to find him. Robbins, who met Nidal while he was working at a call centre in Karachi, stated that their relationship blossomed through phone conversations. She had come to Karachi with the intention of "consummating their marriage" and settle with Nidal in Pakistan. Some residents of Ali Arcade claimed that the woman had been staying at Nidal's apartment for the past three months, but her presence was kept secret from the neighbours. As news flashed on TV screens, curious onlookers flocked to the building, causing distress to the residents. Police arrived at the scene, asking locals to maintain their distance. Despite repeated requests, Robbins refused to leave the premises, asking for money from the building management and police to leave the place. According to witnesses, Nidal had fled the apartment on his motorcycle earlier in the day, accidentally hitting another bike in his hurry. Soon after, his family also locked the flat and left, leaving Robbins alone and desperate. On the orders of the provincial police chief, senior police officer Faiza Soder arrived at the scene with a heavy police contingent. After an hour of negotiations, they decided that Robbins needed to be shifted to a safer location due to security concerns. Just as police were monitoring Robbins, she unexpectedly booked an online taxi and left for an undisclosed location. The police attempted to track her down, but she managed to leave the jurisdiction of the concerned police station. Before her sudden disappearance, Robbins released a video message, claiming that she had married Nidal online via a website called International Utah. She said that money was not a factor in their relationship. "I have money, and everyone here has money. My only wish is to meet Nidal," she said while expressing her desire to settle in Karachi. However, Robbins was later traced at a guesthouse in Nursery on Sharae Faisal. However, the administration refused to rent her a room. In the meantime, police arrived at the guesthouse, took the American woman into protective custody, and transferred her to a hotel in Saddar. A day earlier, authorities decided to send her to the US after her three-month visit visa expired. An Airport Security Force (ASF) contingent escorted her to the Karachi airport where she refused to undergo the necessary immigration procedures and later declined to board her flight in the international departure lounge. Due to security regulations, officials could not forcibly place her on the flight. Her refusal to leave caused a 36-minute delay for Qatar Airways Flight QR 611, but eventually, the aircraft departed without her. Later, a two-member team from the US Consulate arrived at the airport to discuss the situation. They said that Robbins could not be forced onto a flight against her will, as this could lead to legal complications. With Robbins now ditched, betrayed, and abandoned, and Nidal and his family in hiding, the fate of this love story remains uncertain. What began as a tale of intercontinental romance highlights the complexities of love, cultural differences, and unexpected consequences of online relationships. Meanwhile, the Chhipa Foundation has announced that the foundation's chief, Ramzan Chhipa, along with the US lady, will address a press conference at 10am, at the head office on Friday.
