Kyrgyz authorities contacted to ensure Pakistani students’ safety: Dar

Lahore: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said that the government had established contact with the Kyrgyz authorities to ensure the protection of Pakistani students in Bishkek, amidst the incidents of mob violence.

The deputy prime minister was addressing a joint press conference with Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Minister Amir Muqam at party's Model Town office in Lahore on Sunday.

According to Pakistan’s Embassy, foreign students living in Bishkek including those from Pakistan, were subjected to violence by locals in the aftermath of their brawl with Egyptian nationals a few days ago. Some hostels of medical universities in Bishkek and private residences of international students including Pakistanis were attacked.

The deputy prime minister calling the reports of mob attacks on students “extremely concerning” instructed the Pakistan’s ambassador to Kyrgyzstan to fully facilitate them.

The embassy has already shared the helpline numbers +996555554476 and +996507567667, and had responded to a hundreds of calls from the students and their families.