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- May 18, 2024
- Kainat Shakeel
- 0
Pakistani officials said on Saturday that at least five foreigners, including students, were hurt in late Friday night mob violence in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. To put an end to the violence, hundreds of Kyrgyz men stormed buildings housing international students, including Pakistanis, according to Kyrgyz police, who said they had mobilized forces in the capital of the country in Central Asia yesterday. Pakistan’s Embassy in Bishkek reports that following their altercation with Egyptian nationals on May 13, residents of the Kyrgyz capital attacked international students, including those from Pakistan. The reason behind the first altercation is unclear.
A “spontaneous protest against foreigners” that started in Bishkek last night reportedly came to an end this morning when police settled with the protesters, who then left a little later, according to Kyrgyz private media site 24Kg. According to the Kyrgyz health ministry, 29 individuals were hurt in the incident, according to the article. Meanwhile, the nation’s foreign ministry reported that 14 foreign patients had been treated and were now being released from hospitals. According to the Pakistani embassy in Bishkek, no one had died. It also stated that the situation is under control in news statements from the Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The situation was updated via a video on X by Pakistan’s ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Hasan Zaigham. According to him, fourteen people were injured last night in Bishkek when “local extremist elements” attacked six hostels for foreign students as well as their private homes. He claimed that on the prime minister’s orders, he had visited Shahzeb, a Pakistani patient receiving treatment in a hospital. The diplomat said, “His condition is out of danger.” Zaigham provided specific instructions to the prime minister and deputy prime minister to offer all services feasible to Pakistani people residing in the nation. The Kyrgyz administration also promised to ensure foreigners’ security by keeping the police on the job round-the-clock.
“We’ve been informed that some suspects have been taken into custody.” More than 500 calls have been addressed on emergency numbers so far, according to Zaigham, who stated that embassy staff have been working nonstop since the morning to assist with Pakistani citizens’ questions and concerns. The ambassador urged the Pakistani community in Kyrgyzstan to always verify the news they find on social media. According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif gave Minister of Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam instructions to travel to Bishkek right away to help and support Pakistani students.
The prime minister declared, “Engineer Amir Muqam will meet with Pakistani students, listen to their issues, and make sure that Pakistani students do not face any difficulties in the current situation.” He continued by saying that the embassy should make sure injured Pakistani students have access to the best medical care possible. According to PM Shehbaz, the embassy “will not leave the sons and daughters of Pakistan alone in difficult times.” He went on to say that representatives should make sure that students who wished to return to Pakistan at government expense could do so right away. Mumtaz Zahrah Baloch, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Office, had earlier stated that five Pakistanis had been hurt; four had been released, and one was still being treated for a jaw injury. Ishaq Dar, the foreign minister, called the violence “extremely concerning.” In Kyrgyzstan, at least 12,000 Pakistanis are enrolled as students.
A statement denouncing “attempts to provoke violence and unrest on interethnic grounds due to the dissemination of false information on social media” was released by the Kyrgyz government and was seen by 24.kg.
APP said, citing a Facebook post by the embassy that attacks occurred in a few medical university dorms in Bishkek as well as in private homes of foreign students, including Pakistanis. Although things seemed to have cooled down, Dr. Muhammad Taqi, a Pakistani medical student in Bishkek, told Dawn.com that he and other foreigners were bracing for a “second attack.” Taqi’s hometown is in the Shangla area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “The group assaulted both male and female hostels all night long,” he continued.
However, five Pakistanis were hurt, one of whom had a jaw injury, according to Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in an update on X. The reports of mob violence against Pakistani students in Bishkek were previously described as “extremely concerning” by FM Dar. “To guarantee the safety of Pakistani students, we have gotten in touch with the Kyrgyz authorities,” he wrote in a post on X. “I have given our ambassador to Kyrgyzstan the order to fully assist them.” Additionally, Zaigham took to X, advising all Pakistanis residing in the nation’s capital to “stay inside until the situation return[s] to normal”.
He continued by saying that his office had posted emergency helpline numbers and was in contact with local authorities to guarantee the safety of the kids. +996555554476, +996507567667, and +996 507567667 were the numbers that were exchanged. Pakistani nationals living in Kyrgyzstan and their families are asked to get in touch with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Crisis Management Unit (CMU) by calling 0519203108 or 0519203094. Additionally, the email address of CMU was given. cmu1@mofa.gov.pk Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz stated that his administration was “constantly monitoring the situation” and in communication with the Pakistani Embassy. “Very alarmed by the circumstances facing Pakistani students in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The PM tweeted on X, “I have instructed Pakistan’s Ambassador to offer all essential support and assistance.
In a post on X, the FO spokeswoman shared a message from Ambassador Zaigham. She responded, “The Embassy of Pakistan is in contact with the Kyrgyz authorities to facilitate Pakistani students,” and stated that Zaigham and his staff placed “paramount importance” on the safety of the students. Mumtaz shared an emergency helpline number posted on the X account of the Pakistani Embassy in a different post. “You can reach Amb Zaigham and his team at these emergency numbers (both are on WhatsApp).” She stated, “They have answered hundreds of questions from students and their families. The FO official suggested using WhatsApp to get in touch with the embassy.
A Facebook post from the Pakistani Embassy claims that since Friday night, there have been multiple instances of mob violence against international students in Bishkek. According to the notice, which quoted the Kyrgyz press, the conflict escalated on May 13 after a video of a brawl between Egyptian medical students and Kyrgyz students went viral. It further stated that there had been attacks on international students’ private residences, particularly those of Pakistanis, and on several of the hostels of Bishkek’s medical universities. It said, “Students from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India reside in the hostels.” The notice said, “As of right now, it seems that all foreign students are the target of the violence, not just Pakistanis.”