How does one person capture the attention of an entire population of people in a foreign country? Onijah Robinson, the Black lady who refuses to leave Pakistan, could teach you a thing or two about it. We’re here to answer your looming question: What is she doing over there?
The short answer is: everything but trying to leave.
Robinson, now dubbed the“Queen of Pakistan,” was seen in a slew of videos in local Pakistan news over the past weeks either smoking a cigarette, making big demands for monetary compensation or placing a McDonald’s order (two McDoubles, two large fries with extra salt, two apple pies and a large Fanta orange soda...not that anyone asked).
Donning a hijab, a thin penciled brow and makeup that makes her a few shades lighter on her forehead, she’s managed to grasp the attention of locals and even take a leadership position to voice concerns.
In one video, she’s seen on 92 Digital News talking to a woman who appears to be an employee of a hotel. Robinson made a demand for the hotel to be shut down altogether for seemingly denying her a room. She then suggested the employees should be paid $50,000 a week for two months. She’s got a thing for this monthly/weekly allowance.
In one press conference, she demanded the government pay her $100,000 or more and $20,000 by the end of that week in cash in promises to “fix up” the place. Also consider that Robinson’s been delivering her messages in the most raw, IDGAF New York cadence you could think of.
“The government is going to fix up these buildings, fix up these streets and clean up these streets. It’s ridiculous out here. I do not like it,” she said. “Pakistan is in need of new buses, new cabs, new cars. Pakistan needs to be reconstructed.”
Robinson then added in the press conference that she was married to Nidal Ahmed and that the two of them were moving to Dubai. When asked where her family was, she replied “I’m Muslim and it’s against my religion to tell y’all my business.”
Well, here’s the business. The Express Tribune reported she fell in love with Ahmed, who is 19, back in October and flew to Pakistan in hopes they would be together. However, the plan fell through once Ahmed’s family allegedly took him into hiding and fled their home upon Robinson’s arrival.
After the press conference, every local reporter wanted to interview her to get the deets on her life. However, her response to inquiries was that she wouldn’t talk unless she’d be given land or an allowance of $2,000 a week.
As ridiculous as the whole ordeal seems, the internet is LOVING it.
“The way a New Yorker can hustle needs to be studied... this is unmatched,” wrote one TikTok user.
“Pakistan is the 5th most populous country in the world and has a population of 240+ million people. Do you understand how insane it is that this ONE random black woman has popped up and managed to turn the entire country upside down? I’m sorry, I have to stan. Black History!” wrote one X user.
“Honestly the black lady in Pakistan wins the internet,” wrote another X user.
It’s safe to say she’s comfortable where she is. When asked if she wanted to go back to her country, Robinson replied, “It’s private but no. I’m from Pakistan now.”