ISLAMABAD – Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Federal Minister Amir Muqam’s planned visit to Kyrgyzstan was postponed on Sunday, as students were awaiting return flights after facing mob violence in Bishkek.
Dar and Muqam were slated to travel for Kyrgyzstan to assess the situation following a violent attack on foreign students, including Pakistanis, by a mob.
Meanwhile, the ministry decided to dispatch additional staff from Pakistan’s missions in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to the embassy in Kyrgyzstan to support the small diplomatic team there.
The trip was organized to aid Pakistani students affected by the recent violence and to evaluate the repatriation process if necessary.
“Despite the situation being under control, the delegation is being sent to provide necessary assistance and facilities to the Pakistani students,” the government said.
Dozens of students returned to Pakistan, expressing dissatisfaction with the embassy’s response to their concerns. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was at airport where he interacted with students.
Around 10,000 Pakistanis are studying while hundreds are working in Kazakhstan. Several students have claimed that the situation was not as under control as the university and embassy told media.
Meanwhile, Kyrgyz government claimed that students living in various apartments were relocated to hostels, and the embassy has contacted medical universities to organize online classes for Pakistani medical students.
At least 140 Pakistani students returned home from Kyrgyzstan on Saturday night at their own expense, sharing their experiences of living amid the violence.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch announced on Saturday that a help desk had been established to assist Pakistani students and their parents.
Why Pakistani students were attacked in Bishkek? Kyrgyz ministry reveals cause and events
