ISLAMABAD: Five Pakistani medical students were injured in a mob attack on foreign students in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek, Pakistan’s ambassador to Kyrgyzstan announced on Saturday.
Numerous incidents of gang violence against foreign students have been reported in Bishkek since Friday night. The incident occurred after a video of a scuffle between Kyrgyz students and Egyptian medical students on May 13 was shared online, the Pakistani embassy said in a Facebook post citing Kyrgyz media. It is said that it boiled over.
So far, several dormitories at a medical university in Bishkek and the private residences of international students, including Pakistanis, have been attacked. The hostel is home to students from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and some Pakistani students reportedly sustained minor injuries.
“Five Pakistani students were injured in the mob violence. One of them has been admitted to a local hospital with a jaw injury, while the other four were released after first aid,” Kyrgyzstan said.・Pakistan Ambassador Hasan Zaigham told Arab News by phone.
“Not a single Pakistani is killed or raped in violence,” he said, refuting rumors on social media. “The situation is now under control as Bishkek authorities have dispersed all criminals.”
The ambassador said he advised Pakistani students to stay indoors and contact the embassy in case of emergency. “We are in contact with local law enforcement to ensure the safety of our students,” he said.
Zaigham said about 10,000 Pakistani students are enrolled in various educational institutions in Kyrgyzstan, and nearly 6,000 of them live and study in Bishkek, where violence broke out on Friday night.
He said some Egyptian students got into a scuffle with local residents earlier this week, and a video of the scuffle was later shared online, adding that local residents had banned all foreign students living in different hostels in the city of Bishkek. It said it had provoked violence and mob attacks.
Earlier in the day, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed concern about the violence around student dormitories in Bishkek and asked the country’s embassy to provide support to Pakistani students in Bishkek.
“I am deeply concerned about the situation of Pakistani students in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. I have instructed the Pakistani ambassador to provide all necessary support and assistance,” Sharif said in X. “My office is also in contact with the embassy and constantly monitoring the situation.”
Pakistan Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the Pakistani embassy had responded to hundreds of inquiries from students and their families. She said the Pakistan envoy and his team are available on emergency contact numbers +996555554476 and +996507567667.
“If you are unable to reach our number due to phone congestion, please contact us via message or WhatsApp,” Baloch told X.
Pakistan’s embassy earlier said it had been in contact with more than 250 students and their families in Pakistan, adding that the violence appears to have been directed at all foreign students and was not limited to Pakistanis. he added.
It said this is a developing situation and that it would notify the Pakistani community in Kyrgyzstan and their relatives in Pakistan of any further developments.
