A US woman travelled to Pakistan to marry her teenage boyfriend whom she met online, but her wedding plans took a bizarre turn when the boy’s family rejected the relationship.
Onijah Andrew Robinson, 33, who has two children, flew from New York to Karachi to meet 19-year-old Nidal Ahmed Memon. Mr Memon’s family did not approve of the marriage, leaving Ms Robinson stranded in Pakistan with an expired visa, The New York Post reported.
Refusing to leave, Ms Robinson camped outside Mr Memon’s Karachi house, which she found locked and abandoned.
The story came to light when Pakistani activist and YouTuber Zaffar Abbas highlighted Ms Robinson’s plight on social media, prompting Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori to extend his support, help with her expired visa, and arrange a ticket back to the US.
Despite this assistance, Ms Robinson refused to leave and began making a series of increasingly bizarre demands. She held press conferences, offering updates on her situation and commentary on Pakistan.
She also demanded $3,000 per week from Mr Memon and demanded Pakistani citizenship, according to a Times of India report. In another interview, she claimed to be married to Mr Memon and stated that they were planning to move to Dubai soon and start a family.
Her demands escalated, with Ms Robinson requesting $100,000, including $20,000 in cash, from the Pakistani government that week. When questioned about the purpose of the money, she said, “It’s against my religion to tell y’all my business.” Her rapidly changing statements raised concerns.
Ms Robinson’s son, Jeremiah Andrew Robinson, claimed his mother had bipolar disorder and was mentally ill. He also said that his sibling also tried to convince her to return to the US but their efforts went in vain.
Following her son’s claims, Ms Robinson was admitted to the psychiatry department at Karachi’s Jinnah Post Graduate Hospital for a mental health evaluation. She is finally returning to the US after spending months in Pakistan, according to The Independent.