India and Pakistan Urge Their Citizens in Kyrgyzstan to Stay Indoors

Following an attack by a large group of locals on Pakistani students residing in Kyrgyzstan, India and Pakistan on Saturday urged thousands of their citizens studying or working in Kyrgyzstan to remain in their homes and avoid traveling in the cities. Meanwhile, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Afghan students and refugees in Kyrgyzstan are also concerned for their safety and have reported their fears about moving around the streets. Reports indicate that Pakistan has also repatriated 140 Pakistani students from Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, on a flight to Lahore, and the Pakistani Foreign Ministry has stated that it plans to arrange more flights to 'bring back all those who wish to flee the violence in this Central Asian country.' On Saturday, May 18, Pakistan summoned a Kyrgyz diplomat to protest the attacks against its citizens, and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed concern over the violence, announcing that he would immediately send a senior cabinet minister to Bishkek to oversee the situation of Pakistani students. According to local media reports, since last week, some student dormitories of medical universities in Bishkek and private accommodations of international students, including Pakistani students, have been targeted by a group of Kyrgyz. These dormitories mainly house Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi students. According to Radio Mashaal, a section of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the unrest began after an Egyptian female student was harassed in Bishkek, and the release of a video on May 14 showing a clash between Kyrgyz students and Egyptian medical students escalated tensions. In recent years, in addition to Russia and Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan has become a popular destination for foreign students seeking medical degrees due to its low tuition fees. Reports indicate that following the aforementioned attacks, some injured Pakistani students are being treated at a local hospital in Bishkek. Pakistani officials say they cannot confirm whether any of their citizens have been killed in these attacks. Radio Mashaal reports that several Pakistani students residing in Bishkek described the severity of the violent attack on foreign student dormitories. Syed Shahrokh Khan, a Pakistani medical student, told Radio Mashaal that 'the night was like hell' and 'locals beat anyone who crossed their path, male and female students alike, dragging them on the ground. They even went outside the universities, looking for Pakistani and Indian students to beat them.' Hasnain Ali, another Pakistani medical student at the International University of Kyrgyzstan, also told Radio Mashaal that he and his classmates were targeted in their dormitory, and several of them were seriously injured. He said on the evening of May 18 in Bishkek that local police informed him and others that 'another group of thugs is heading toward their university' and told them: 'Turn off the lights, close the doors and windows, and do not look outside.' Hasnain Ali added: 'We have no water or food. The local police are not helping. They came only after the thugs had left. The Pakistani embassy has not sent any help for us so far. We are looking to the media to inform people about our situation.'