ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has formed an inquiry committee to investigate the factors and causes that led to mob attacks on Pakistan’s students in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who also holds the position of Foreign Minister, made this announcement during a press conference held in Islamabad on Wednesday. Alongside Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi, Dar said that the committee’s mandate extends to evaluating the role of the Pakistani Mission in Bishkek in supporting the students.
The unrest erupted in Bishkek following the circulation of videos depicting a confrontation between Kyrgyz and Egyptian students on Friday night, prompting local residents to target international students, including Pakistanis.
Official records indicate that approximately 10,000 Pakistani students are enrolled in Kyrgyzstan, with nearly 6,000 situated in Bishkek.
Pakistan has facilitated the return of over 4,500 students from Bishkek in the aftermath of the violent incidents, utilizing various flight arrangements.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, the Foreign Minister emphasized that the committee would also scrutinize the Pakistani mission’s actions in Bishkek concerning student support.
Dar stated that the committee would collaborate with Kyrgyz authorities to assess all pertinent developments in Bishkek. “The committee will present its findings within two weeks,” he affirmed.
He further assured that the government would not impede any student’s decision to return to Pakistan from Bishkek.
During his visit to Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, Dar personally inquired about the condition of Shahzaib, a Pakistani textile worker injured in the recent violence. He was received at the hospital by Deputy Chairman of the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers Edil Baisalov and Kyrgyz Minister of Health Alymkadyr Beishenaliev. Upon Shahzaib’s expressed wish to return to Pakistan, the hospital authorities, at Dar’s request, discharged him to facilitate his further treatment in Pakistan.
Additionally, Dar held discussions with his Kyrgyz counterpart in Kazakhstan on the sidelines of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers. Subsequently, both ministers traveled together from Astana to Bishkek.
