Pakistani students in Kyrgyzstan’s Bishkek asked to stay indoors amid ‘extremely concerning’ reports of mob violence
Amid “extremely concerning” reports, Pakistani students in Bishkek were subjected to mob violence late on Friday night, Pakistani officials said. No deaths have been confirmed by the Pakistani Embassy.
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 their brawl with Egyptian nationals a few days ago.
However, contrary to posts circulating on social media, the embassy said that so far, they had received no confirmed reports of the death or rape of any Pakistani student.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said the reports of mob violence against Pakistani students in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek were “extremely concerning”.
“We have established contact with the Kyrgyz authorities to ensure protection of Pakistani students,” he said in a post on X.
“I have instructed our Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan to fully facilitate them.”
Hasan Zaigham, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, also took to X and urged all Pakistanis in the capital to “remain indoors until the situation return [sic] to normal”
He added that his office is liaising with local authorities to ensure students’ safety and posted numbers for an emergency helpline.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a statement saying that his office was in touch with the Pakistani Embassy and “constantly monitoring the situation”.
“Deeply concerned over the situation of Pakistani students in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. I have directed Pakistan’s Ambassador to provide all necessary help and assistance,” the PM wrote on X.
Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch conveyed a message from Ambassador Zaigham in a post on X. “The Embassy of Pakistan is in contact with the Kyrgyz authorities to facilitate Pakistani students,” she wrote, adding that the students’ safety was of “paramount importance” to Zaigham and his team.
In a separate post, Mumtaz shared a post from the Pakistani Embassy’s X account of emergency helpline numbers.
“Amb Zaigham & his team are available on these emergency numbers (both numbers on WhatsApp). They have responded to hundreds of queries by students and their families,” she wrote.
Multiple social media posts also reported violence at hostels housing foreign students in Bishkek, enclosed with footage and imagery, with many appealing to authorities to provide help to the students.
More to follow