Pakistani students in the Kyrgyzstan capital of Bishkek were subjected to mass violence late Friday night, leaving at least five injured, Asian media reported.
According to Pakistan’s embassy in Bishkek, foreign students living in the Kyrgyz capital, including those from Pakistan, were attacked by locals after they scuffled with Egyptian nationals May 13. Some dormitories of Bishkek’s medical universities and private residences of foreign students, including Pakistanis, were attacked.
While the Pakistani embassy said they have so far received no confirmed reports of the death or rape of any Pakistani student, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar described the incident as “extremely concerning” because at least 12,000 Pakistanis are studying in Kyrgyzstan.
We have established contact with the Kyrgyz authorities to ensure the protection of Pakistani students. I have instructed our Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan to fully facilitate them, he said in a post on X.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch shared in an update on X that five Pakistanis were injured, one of whom sustained a jaw injury.
Hasan Zaigham, Pakistan’s ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, has also urged all Pakistanis in the capital to stay indoors until the situation returns to normalcy. His office is liaising with local authorities to ensure the safety of the students and has posted numbers for the emergency line, according to him.
In an update shared by the Foreign Office, Melis Moldaliev, Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan, was summoned to the FO for a demarche by Director General (ECO & CARs) Aizaz Khan. He conveyed the government’s deep concern over the reports and urged the Kyrgyz Charge d’Affaires to take all possible measures to ensure the safety of Pakistani students and citizens residing in the country.
FO shared a statement on the meeting between Pakistan’s Ambassador Zaigham and Kyrgyz Deputy Foreign Minister Imangaziev Almaz regarding the situation in Bishkek. He urged the Kyrgyz government to prioritise the protection of Pakistani citizens.
The Indian Embassy in Bishkek also warned its students to stay indoors. Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar also addressed X and advised the students to remain in regular touch with the embassy and advised them to stay indoors.
