Bishkek Attacks on Pakistani Students – They had KNUCKLES on hands – Blowing the Faces – Airing the Torture on TikTOK – Nothing Normal There – Officials Telling Lies – Pakistani Students at Lahore Airport
Diplomatic officials and Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyz Republic and Pakistan, both are again and again claiming the situation is normal in Bishkek but the students who returned via first flight at Lahore airport at 11 PM tonight on 18 May 2024 have shared a scene that is more horrible than the details known so far. They say whoever claims normalization, is a big liar.
140 Pakistanis including 30 students succeeded in saving their lives to Bishkek airport to board a flight bound for Lahore after the shocking incidents with Pakistanis in the capital city of Kyrgyz Republic. They said even the road to the airport was not safe.
A student , while talking to media at Lahore airport said, ” The rioters were in groups of 800 to 1000 and every group surrounded separate hostels. They were wearing KNUCKLES on their hands. They rammed into the rooms and apartments of Pakistani workers and students. The KNUCKLE wearing blow tears apart the face. They were breaking everything and beating everyone.”
The returned students shared that the locals were showing their attacks and torture on tik tok to other accomplices. They were free to attack anyone and break into anyone’s residence. They were every where and it was not possible to keep away from them.
As long as , local Police is concerned , the students were not satisfied with the action of Police. The students said that the police reached at few places only and not at all places surrounded by the uncontrolled mobs. Police reached after 2 long hours while the mobs had already played the havoc with innocent Pakistani workers and students.
Regarding Pakistani embassy there, father of a student alleged Pakistani Ambassador Mr. Zaigham of negligence and not responding to their calls. The students said that the given numbers by the MOFA of both sides were not picked up when they called again and again.
The students mentioned that on 13 May Kyrgyz locals harassed Egyptian female students on which male Egyptian students reacted. Here it is also worth noting that the sources in Kyrgyz MOFA claim that the Egyptian students first tortured local students. Anyway, later, according to the returned students , local students shared the incident on social media and provoked other locals to gather and take revenge.
This background gives rise to the million dollar question that; When the starter happened one week ago, when it was shared on social media, when it was spread among other locals on wide basis, when the locals were being invited to respond, What the local authorities were doing in the meanwhile?
Earlier some students shared that the attackers were calling us invaders. Apparently, it depicts their state of mind that the foreigners are earning from their country while the locals are deprived of the opportunities. This goes against the government of the republic herself. Kyrgyz gov can not take care of a small population of 6.5 Million only?
Moreover, Pakistani students do not take anything from Kyrgyz state. They pay fee and spend money sent by their parents from Pakistan. Thus , they play role in the strengthening of the economy of Kyrgyz Republic. Therefore , Pakistani students should be respected and safe from any hostility by the locals.
Pakistan’s very powerful interior minister Mr. Mohsin Naqvi received Pakistani students at Lahore airport. Lets see what he does for the safety of Pakistanis in Kyrgyz Republic. Prime Minister Pakistan has sent 2 ministers to Bishkek to raise the matter with Kyrgyz gov. But matter of fact is , even Pakistani government failed to prove itself equal to their national task.
Pakistani Ambassador failed to play his due role in the crisis. He could reach to hospital only with a bunch of flowers or fruit. He was not available to Pakistani students who were crying in pain and struggling for life there. He could not do anything more than sharing phone numbers that were not responding and issue a statement only.
Pakistani government could not arrange special flights for the students and workers. The first batch of Pakistanis reached homeland in another foreign airline. They bought their tickets from their pockets.
Last but not the least, only 30 students could manage to escape the hostile place and that on their own. There are 10 thousand students and many workers as well. Lets see what is their fate in a country that was never expected by any Pakistani to do this to our students.
Kyrgyz officials were mostly issuing sweeping statements on the incidents as FAKE only to negate the ground realities. They are expected to rethink and review their responses because it is a matter of life and death for our students. The mobs are original, The attacks are there, Pakistanis had nothing to do with the dispute between Egyptians and Kyrgyz, The hospital is original and the students getting treatment there is original, there wounds are original.
How unlucky are Pakistani students that first they had to return leaving their education incomplete despite spending millions of rupees from Ukraine thanks to Russian attacks and now they can not continue their studies in Kyrgyz Republic because it is easy to gather the mobs and attack on the foreigners there.
Government of Pakistan , showing itself as the most concerned about the students, could do nothing for the students returned from Ukraine and no one has any expectation with the government of Pakistan now in case of students fled from Kyrgyz Republic. Coincidentally both are former Soviet States. The state of denial is the symbol of former Soviet Union.
The remaining stranded 10 thousand – 30 Pakistani students are spending another horrible night tonight. Lets see what the next morning bring for them. Their parents can not sleep tonight and every night to come till their kids return to them.
What a tyranny it is , we hosted a forum with Ambassador of Kyrgyz Republic in Islamabad only two months ago, with our own arrangement and supported the Kygyz Embassy in promotion of education linkages but now we are seeing the scene that is not worth seeing. The mobs ruined everything.
Tazeen Akhtar
Diplomatic officials and Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyz Republic and Pakistan, both are again and again claiming the situation is normal in Bishkek but the students who returned via first flight at Lahore airport at 11 PM tonight on 18 May 2024 have shared a scene that is more horrible than the details known so far. They say whoever claims normalization, is a big liar.
