Amid escalating tensions, Pakistani students in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, have faced violent attacks following a brawl between locals and Egyptian nationals on May 13.
The incident, which has alarmed Pakistani authorities, led Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to describe the situation as “extremely concerning.” According to Pakistan’s Embassy in Bishkek, hostels of medical universities and private residences of international students, including those from Pakistan, were attacked. At least 12,000 Pakistanis are studying in Kyrgyzstan. The embassy confirmed no fatalities but reported injuries among Pakistani students.
Private Kyrgyz media outlet 24.kg labeled the incident as a “protest against foreigners,” publishing a statement from the Kyrgyz government condemning attempts to incite violence and unrest through misinformation on social media.
Dr. Muhammad Taqi, a Pakistani medical student from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla region, recounted the distressing events to Dawn.com. Taqi stated that while the situation seemed calmer, he and other foreigners were bracing for further attacks. He described how attackers targeted both boys’ and girls’ hostels throughout the night.
Contrary to alarming posts circulating on social media, the Pakistani embassy reported no confirmed deaths or sexual assaults of Pakistani students. However, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch noted that five Pakistanis had been injured, including one with a jaw injury.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized the urgency of the situation in a post on X, assuring that the Pakistani Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan was instructed to provide full support to the affected students. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Hasan Zaigham, urged all Pakistanis in Bishkek to remain indoors until normalcy is restored, providing emergency contact numbers for immediate assistance.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his deep concern over the students’ safety and confirmed that his office was in constant contact with the Pakistani Embassy to monitor the situation closely. He assured that all necessary help and assistance were being provided.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs activated its Crisis Management Unit (CMU), urging Pakistani nationals in Kyrgyzstan and their families to contact the unit via provided phone numbers and email for assistance.
The Charge d’affaires of the Kyrgyz Embassy in Islamabad, Melis Moldaliev, was summoned by the FO for a demarche, where Director General Aizaz Khan expressed the Pakistani government’s concerns and requested that Kyrgyz authorities take all possible measures to ensure the safety of Pakistani citizens.
By early afternoon, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement following a meeting between Kyrgyz Deputy Foreign Minister Almaz Imangaziev and Ambassador Zaigham. The Kyrgyz side assured the Pakistani ambassador that the situation was under control and requested the Pakistani media to refrain from disseminating inaccurate information about the incident.
