KARACHI: An American woman, who remained in the public eye for months since traveling to Karachi last year in pursuit of a Pakistani man, finally left Pakistan by boarding a flight to New York on Friday, police said, ending her more than three-month stay in the South Asian country.
Onijah Andrew Robinson, 33, had arrived in Karachi in October last year to meet 19-year-old Nidal Ahmed Memon, who she had befriended online, but Memon later abandoned her saying his family was not agreeing to their marriage. Memon’s whereabouts remained unknown during Robinson’s stay in his country.
Robinson’s story came to light after local activist Zaffar Abbas publicized it on social media, with Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori intervening to extend her expired visa and arrange a flight home.
Robinson finally left Pakistan on Friday night following her discharge from a government-run medical facility in Karachi, according to Karachi South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Asad Raza.
“The American woman, Onijah Andrew Robinson, was discharged from the hospital today,” DIG Raza told Arab News. “She has left Pakistan for her home in the US“
Robinson was admitted to the Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center on Feb. 1 and was discharged from there on Feb. 7, according to the hospital report. Doctors at the hospital had diagnosed the US woman as having bipolar affective disorder (BPAD), in which a person experiences periods of extreme mood changes.
The American woman, who remained in media glare and previously refused to leave Pakistan on multiple occasions, had not filed a formal complaint against Memon, according to Karachi authorities.
A spokesperson for the US consulate in Karachi said late last month the mission was aware of the situation, but could not comment due to privacy laws. Shafqat Ali Khan, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s foreign office, said it was a matter for local authorities in the Sindh province to deal with.
During her months-long stay in Pakistan, a number of Pakistani men had also come forward with marriage proposals for Robinson.
“If she wants to settle here, then I’ve bought a new house in Gulshan-e-Maymar [neighborhood]. I will accommodate her there and also give her $5,000,” Muhammad Ismail, one such contender, told reporters in Karachi last month.
“She has been betrayed and cheated. A promise has been broken, but we welcome the guest.”
American woman, abandoned by online paramour, leaves Pakistan for New York after months
https://arab.news/vjkx8
American woman, abandoned by online paramour, leaves Pakistan for New York after months
- Onijah Andrew Robinson, 33, had arrived in Karachi in October last year to meet 19-year-old Nidal Ahmed Memon
- Memon abandoned her saying his family was not agreeing to their marriage, his whereabouts remained unknown
US says trade with Pakistan could top $8 billion in 2025
- US chargé d’affaires links rising trade to deeper economic engagement with Pakistan
- Visit comes amid broader effort by Islamabad and Washington to improve bilateral ties
ISLAMABAD: Trade between the United States and Pakistan is projected to exceed $8 billion in 2025, the US Embassy said on Tuesday, as Washington signaled confidence in Pakistan’s export base and economic potential during a high-profile visit to the industrial city of Sialkot.
The projection was highlighted by US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker during meetings with Pakistani exporters and business leaders, underlining the importance Washington places on trade, investment and supply-chain cooperation as the two countries seek to stabilize and expand their economic relationship.
“Highlighting the growth in trade between the United States and Pakistan, which was projected to reach over $8 billion in 2025, Baker said, ‘Expanding trade reflects a strong foundation that highlights the positive impact of US economic engagement in Pakistan and globally. The United States and Pakistan are pursuing a fair and balanced trade relationship that creates prosperity for both our nations’,” the US embassy said in a statement.
The envoy said the United States had been Pakistan’s largest export market and a leading investor, presenting significant opportunities for expanded trade and shared prosperity.
“The United States remains deeply invested in Pakistan and its people,” Baker said, “building on a partnership that dates back to Pakistan’s independence and continues to grow through trade, innovation, education, and cultural exchange.”
The visit comes amid a broader effort by Islamabad and Washington to improve bilateral ties under US President Donald Trump’s second term, after years of uneven engagement. Since mid-2025, the two sides have stepped up diplomatic contacts, including meetings between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s military leadership and US officials, alongside discussions on trade, minerals, security cooperation and regional stability.
Pakistan has also sought to re-energize economic diplomacy with Washington as it works to boost exports, attract foreign investment and stabilize its economy under an IMF-backed reform program.
In July 2025, the two countries agreed to a bilateral trade deal that included reciprocal tariff reductions and frameworks for US investment in Pakistan’s energy and mineral sectors, a step Islamabad has hailed as opening new avenues for economic collaboration.
During her visit, Baker toured leading exporters including Forward Sports, First American Corporation (FAC) and CA Sports, companies that are deeply embedded in global supply chains. The embassy said nearly 70 percent of FAC’s exports go to the United States, illustrating sustained US consumer demand for Pakistani-made goods.
Baker also visited Sialkot International Airport and met with the leadership of AirSial, highlighting private-sector-led infrastructure and logistics as key to Pakistan’s export growth.
