This is apropos a letter to the editor entitled ‘Managing the student crisis in Kyrgyzstan: a perspective’ that this writer penned for this newspaper.
I would like add to what I’ve already said that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also took note of the losses of the student in terms of education and financial losses of the parents and promised that a meeting of the stakeholders will soon be convened to look into the possibility of accommodating them in the Pakistani medical institutions.
The government also constituted an inquiry committee to establish what led to the mob attacks on its students and to look into the reasons, response readiness of Pakistani mission and the government. The committee would coordinate with the Kyrgyz authorities to review all the findings and developments in Bishkek and submit its report within two weeks.
Due to the government’s proactive initiative, thousands of Pakistani students have been repatriated through several special evacuation flights in an operation.
Whereas no such efforts were made by the governments of India and Bangladesh despite the evacuation demands of their students which stands at 28,800 — India (15,000), Pakistan (10,000) and Bangladesh (1200). While the Pakistani government and its embassy in Bishkek undertook significant measures to address the crisis involving Pakistani students in Kyrgyzstan, there are areas where improvements could have been made. The embassy’s website was almost non-existent, with blank sections and, besides adorning a picture of the Ambassador, having no useful information at all. There were no press releases, video messages, or safety and security SOPs for the stranded students on the website.
There was no mention of any hotline established to register the concerns of the students. There was a total absence of organized and focused centrally controlled registration of pressing needs of the students and making arrangements to meet their essential requirements. The embassy failed to set up a centralized support group of the Pakistani community in Kyrgyzstan, create a listing of available resources, or compile an inventory of contact numbers and addresses of community members to help students in distress. In Pakistan, there was no help desk for parents to seek answers to their queries, nor a centralized system to garner help from the community to mitigate the suffering of the students.
Proactive communication, an early warning system, enhanced coordination, and a swift evacuation process could have mitigated initial delays and confusion. Regular updates and virtual town hall meetings with parents could have reduced anxiety and built trust. Follow-up support for returning students would demonstrate a continued commitment to their well-being. By addressing these aspects, the government could have ensured a more robust and compassionate response.
Qamar Bashir
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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