An American woman who traveled to Karachi for love refused to return home after her relationship ended, creating a scene at the airport and delaying a flight, according to airport officials.
Identified as Onijah Andrew Robinson, the woman became distraught after her 19-year-old love interest, Nidal Memon from Karachi’s Garden area, was unable to marry her due to family objections. She had arrived in Pakistan on October 11 after connecting with him through social media.
Robinson remained in Karachi beyond her visa’s validity, leaving her stranded. Eventually, an NGO arranged financial assistance and a return ticket for her. However, at Jinnah International Airport, she refused to board her flight, delaying Qatar Airways flight QR 611 to New York via Doha by 36 minutes.
Initially, she declined immigration processing and later resisted boarding despite efforts by police and the Airport Security Force (ASF) to escort her to the departure lounge. Security protocols prevented authorities from forcibly placing her on the aircraft.
After months of difficulties in Karachi, Robinson had been handed over to airport police when her visa expired. She was also admitted to the airport’s emergency clinic due to flu-like symptoms before her scheduled departure.
Authorities attempted for hours to convince Robinson to return to the United States. A two-member team from the US Consulate arrived at the airport to meet with officials, expressing their intent to persuade her to leave. However, they emphasized that they could not force her to return against her will.
Ultimately, Robinson declined assistance from the US officials and left the airport in a taxi, telling police, “I am going to my husband.” Airport authorities confirmed that she has a 15-day permit to exit the airport premises.
