DPM Dar forms inquiry committee on Bishkek incident

Islamabad: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar Wednesday constituted an inquiry committee to probe into the factors and causes that led to mob attacks on Pakistani students at Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan.

Addressing a news conference along with Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi in Islamabad, he said the committee will also investigate about the role of Pakistani Mission at Bishkek for facilitation of students.

The Foreign Minister stated: “The committee will coordinate with Kyrgyz authorities and review all the findings and developments at Bishkek and submit its report within two weeks”.

He added that 32,033 students have been brought back from Bishkek so far, while a total of 4,036 would be repatriated to Pakistan till today.

After attending Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting at Astana in Kazakhstan, he visited Kyrgyzstan to take stock of the situation following riots and mob attacks on Pakistani students at Bishkek, Dar continued.   

Ishaq further said during his interaction there, the Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister informed him that the situation in Bishkek is totally under control and normalcy returned there. He further guaranteed that perpetrators of the riots would be punished according to law.

The deputy premier also informed that 11,000 Pakistani nationals are currently working in different industries and doing jobs in Kyrgyzstan and the Kyrgyz government is planning to deport them due to their illegal stay there.

He also stated during his meeting that he also requested the Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister to regularize their stay instead of deporting them and he agreed to the proposal.

“The Kyrgyz authorities informed that the riots were not Pakistan-specific and students hailing from other countries including Bangladesh, India and some Arab countries were also targeted,” added Ishaq.

Dar further said the Kyrgyz authorities assured him that they have zero-tolerance towards violent incidents and also have rounded up scores of people involved in these riots.

Replying to a question, the Foreign Minister said Kyrgyzstan has a huge potential to accommodate Pakistani skilled workforce and the government will take all out measures to export Pakistani human capital there.