Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar announced that over 540 Pakistani students stranded in Kyrgyzstan due to recent violent incidents will be repatriated through three commercial flights organized by the government.
This decision comes in the wake of a violent attack on foreign students, prompting urgent measures for their safe return.
The return of these students adds to the 130 who arrived in Lahore on Saturday night, bringing the total number of repatriated students to 670. Dar disclosed that the Air Force will operate one flight capable of carrying 130 students, with 50 already registered for the flight.
Addressing reporters in Islamabad, Dar, along with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Minister of Frontier Regions and National Heritage and Culture Amir Muqam, briefed on the situation in Kyrgyzstan. He clarified that students from India, Bangladesh, and the Arab region were also targeted in the attacks, dispelling the notion that only Pakistanis were affected.
Dar highlighted that, according to Kyrgyz government statistics, around 16 students, including four Pakistanis, sustained injuries during the violence. While the exact cause remains unconfirmed, Dar described it as an “attack against foreign students,” indicating tensions between some foreign students and locals.
As the Foreign Office received reports of the violence around 3 am, Dar affirmed the government’s efforts to communicate the availability of return flights to all affected students.