A plane carrying 30 Pakistani students, who were stranded in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan amid mob attacks on foreign nationals, landed in Lahore on Saturday night.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi welcomed the students at Lahore airport, where a large number of their family members were also present.
This development followed an announcement by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that the federal government would cover all travel expenses for stranded Pakistani students wishing to return home due to the violence in Bishkek.
The violent attacks, which began after a brawl between locals and Egyptian nationals on May 13, left at least five Pakistani students injured.
Pakistan’s embassy in Bishkek denied reports of any Pakistani students being killed in the attacks. Envoy Hasan Zaigham confirmed that Shahzaib, a Pakistani national injured in the mob attack, was in stable condition.
In a statement from the PM’s office on Saturday, PM Shehbaz Sharif expressed serious concerns over the violence against foreign students in Bishkek. He directed Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan Affairs, Amir Muqam, to visit Kyrgyzstan to assist the stranded Pakistani nationals.
According to the statement, the federal minister was instructed to travel to Bishkek to meet with the Pakistani students and address their concerns. Muqam is scheduled to leave for Bishkek today (Saturday) and will meet with Kyrgyz officials.
The prime minister has also directed that all possible assistance be provided to the affected Pakistani students.
