Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Ishaq Dar, announced on Wednesday that the country has repatriated more than 3,000 Pakistani students from Kyrgyzstan in the past week, following mob attacks targeting international students. The number of repatriated Pakistani students is expected to exceed 4,000 by Thursday.
These students were the targets of mob violence that erupted on May 17 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Over 12,000 Pakistani students were studying in Kyrgyzstan at the time, and the attacks reportedly started following a video that depicted a fight between local and international students on May 13.
According to the Kyrgyz Health Ministry, 29 individuals sustained injuries from the mob violence. The Kyrgyz police stated that the forces had been mobilised to subdue the violence in Bishkek, where the buildings housing international students were attacked by hundreds of Kyrgyz men. However, the Embassy of Pakistan in Bishkek has clarified that the violence had not led to any fatalities.
Dar has also announced the creation of an inquiry committee to scrutinize the incident’s cause and evaluate how the Embassy of Pakistan responded to the situation. This committee will need to report its findings within two weeks. Dar also urged Kyrgyzstan’s foreign affairs minister, Jeenbek Kulubayev, to take swift action against those responsible for attacking the Pakistani students.
In response to the violence, Kyrgyzstan’s President, Sadyr Japarov issued a public statement, asserting that mob attacks will not be tolerated and affirming that foreign students and workers are a valuable contribution to the country’s economy. The president also stated that the culprits behind the attacks had been apprehended by Kyrgyzstan’s intelligence agencies.
The Pakistan Foreign Ministry summoned Kyrgyzstan’s Ambassador to Pakistan on May 18, in response to concerns over the violence against Pakistani students. A day before this, mob violence against foreign individuals had resulted in at least 29 injuries among people from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Egypt. The Pakistan Foreign Ministry has urged the Kyrgyz government to ensure the safety and security of Pakistani citizens currently residing in Kyrgyzstan. The Embassy of Pakistan has also set up an emergency helpline for the students and their families.