ISLAMABAD: A special flight carrying 180 Pakistani students and passengers from Kyrgyzstan landed in Islamabad airport on Sunday. Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik received the passengers at the Islamabad airport.

The students who arrived in Islamabad from Kyrgyzstan expressed their frustration, saying that there are a large number of their colleagues who are still trapped in hostels in Kyrgyzstan and seeking help from the Pakistani government.

AFP ADDS: More than 650 Pakistani students were being repatriated from Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan’s foreign minister said on Sunday, after clashes broke out between locals and foreigners near student accommodation in the capital Bishkek.

Pakistan protests to Kyrgyz diplomat after violence

Four Pakistani students were injured overnight Friday when brawls erupted involving hundreds of students from different countries.

Students were ordered by authorities to stay indoors, students in the city told Pakistani media.

“Three special, commercial flights have been arranged,” Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told a press conference in Islamabad.

“This was an attack on foreign students — not just Pakistani students. There were also Indian, Bangladeshi and Arab students.”

Around 130 students arrived in Pakistan on Saturday, with 540 more due to arrive on Sunday.

The government summoned the Kyrgyzstan charge d’affaires to the foreign office on Saturday to provide details on the clashes.

The “disturbances” followed an incident earlier in the week when foreign students reported being harassed in their dormitories by “unidentified persons”, the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kyrgyzstan said in a statement published online.

Local media said more than 11,000 Pakistanis are studying across Kyrgyzstan, which is particularly popular with medical students.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024