A 33-year-old American woman Onija Andrew Robbins made headlines at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport on Wednesday after she caused a ruckus, refusing to board her flight back to the United States.
Onija Robbins, who had arrived in Pakistan months earlier in the hopes of marrying a young Pakistani man, was escorted to the departure lounge by airport security after a 36-minute delay to the flight. Even the US consulate officials, who reached the airport and met with the woman, failed to convince her to return. According to sources, the woman allegedly refused to seek help from the consulate staff, booked an online taxi and left the airport without security.
According to airport sources, the woman has a 15-day permit to staying out of the airport.
According to airport sources, Onija - a mother of two from US - had been staying in Karachi since October 11, when she first travelled to the city after connecting with 19-year-old Nidal Memon, a resident of Karachi's Garden area, via social media.
The two had struck up an online relationship, and Memon had promised to marry her. However, his family rejected the proposal, leading to a strained situation for Robbins, whose visit visa had expired.
The woman, whose love story had captivated many, resisted all attempts to leave Karachi.
She first refused to go through immigration, and later, in the departure lounge, she continued to resist boarding her flight back to the US. Despite efforts to convince her, Robbins avoided returning to the United States, offering excuses to justify her refusal.
The situation led to a significant delay for the scheduled flight QR 611, which was bound for New York via Doha.
Sources within the airline confirmed that the departure was delayed by 36 minutes as airport authorities attempted to get Robbins on the plane. Under security protocols, passengers cannot be forcibly made to board a flight, and thus, the delay ensued.
As tensions escalated, the police and airport security intervened. The woman was taken into protective custody, and sources from the airport confirmed that she was transferred to the departure lounge to prevent any further disruptions.
During this time, Robbins also sought medical attention at the airport's emergency clinic for symptoms of cold and flu.
In the wake of the incident, a Karachi-based NGO stepped in, providing Robbins with the necessary support to return to the US. The organization arranged her flight ticket and assisted her financially.
