Bishkek riots: 205 students reach Karachi from Kyrgyzstan

KARACHI: The first Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-6260 carrying 205 students from Bishkek reached Karachi on Thursday, ARY News reported.

The violence began in Bishkek on Friday night after videos of a brawl between Kyrgyz and Egyptian students went viral on social media, prompting groups of local residents to target international students, including Pakistanis.

According to official figures, about 10,000 Pakistani students are enrolled in Kyrgyzstan, with nearly 6,000 in Bishkek.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and others welcomed the students at Jinnah International Airport Karachi.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that so far 205 students from Sindh, 150 boys and 55 girls, had been brought back to Pakistan.

The chief minister said of total 205 students who had been brought back, 99 belonged to Karachi, 22 to Hyderabad, 13 to Khairpur, 15 to Naushero Feroze, 12 to Sukkur and Nawabshah each, five to Badin, Mirpurkhas, Jacobabad and Dadu each, three to Tando Adam, two to Jamshoro, Kashmore, Kandhkot each, while one student from Panu Aqil and Tharparkar each.

It should be noted that Pakistani students have returned home through several flights from Bishkek.

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 in Kyrgyzstan’s Bishkek.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan has so far repatriated over 4500 students from Bishkek after the mob violence via various flights.