The Pakistani government on Saturday repatriated its 540 students from Kyrgyzstan after a violent clash erupted between the local students and their foreign collegemates. Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said that three special commercial flights had been arranged to bring back 540 Pakistani students from Kyrgyzstan today.
What happened in Kyrgyzstan
According to local media, the violence began last week following a clash between Kyrgyz people and foreigners in the city. According to Pakistan’s embassy in Bishkek, foreign students living in the Kyrgyz capital, including those from Pakistan, were attacked by locals in the aftermath of a brawl with Egyptian nationals on May 13, Dawn reported.
Earlier, Pakistan said its embassy in Bishkek was in contact with the Kyrgyz government to ensure the safety and security of its nationals. Some of the injured Pakistani students were treated at a local hospital in Bishkek, it said.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Dar, who is also the foreign minister — said, "Yesterday, around 130 students reached Pakistan via commercial flights. So today, three commercial flights, and special flights have been arranged. Through these 540 more students will be able to return and the [total] number will increase to 670."
Why Pakistan students are thrashed brutally in Kyrgyzstan?
Kyrgyz private media outlet 24.kg reported that a “spontaneous protest against foreigners” that began on Friday night in Bishkek ended on Saturday morning after police came to an agreement with the rioters and they dispersed a little later.
Pakistan on Saturday summoned Kyrgyz envoy Melis Moldaliev to the Foreign Office and demanded “all possible measures” for the protection of the students, with the embassy asking them to remain indoors till de-escalation of the situation, reported Dawn.
India is yet to make a decision
Earlier, there were reports that some Indian students were also injured, however, the same was not confirmed by the Indian government. On Saturday, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar took to social media and said he was aware of the evolving situation in the Central Asian country and added he was informed that the situation was stable. However, he advised the students in Kyrgyzstan to stay indoors.
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan also released an emergency contact number in case of any untoward situation. Notably, a large number of Indian students are currently pursuing Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from Kyrgyzstan.
Also Read: India, Pakistan advise students in Kyrgyzstan to 'stay indoors' amid mob violence
