ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday constituted an inquiry committee to establish what led to the mob attacks on its students in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, said the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, as over 4,000 Pakistani nationals were brought back from the Central Asian state.
Dar visited Bishkek on Tuesday to address the concerns of young students from his country enrolled in various educational institutions who witnessed the mob violence last week.
According to some media reports, the situation went out of hand in Bishkek last Friday after videos of a brawl between Kyrgyz and Egyptian students went viral on social media, prompting groups of local residents to target university hostels and private lodgings of international students, including those from Pakistan.
Official figures shared by the Pakistan embassy in Kyrgyzstan reveal nearly 10,000 Pakistani students are enrolled in the Central Asian country, with about 6,000 in Bishkek. The frenzied violence forced them to confine themselves for several hours in their rooms without food and drinking water, prompting many of them to make evacuation requests online.
“The additional secretary administration of the foreign ministry, Muhammad Saleem, will head a fact-finding committee to look into the incident, including the reason for such developments and subsequent reaction of the Pakistani mission and the government,” Dar told the media in a news briefing.
He said the committee would coordinate with the Kyrgyz authorities to review all the findings and developments in Bishkek and submit its report within two weeks.
The deputy prime minister informed a total of 4,036 students had returned from Bishkek by last night.
“To date, 3,233 students have returned on commercial flights, while 513 have benefitted from special flights arranged by the federal government,” he added. “The special flights arranged by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government have also brought back 290 students.”
Dar said during his meeting with the Kyrgyz deputy PM, he inquired about the fate of the perpetrators of the violence and was told that the administration in Bishkek had zero tolerance in such matters.
“My counterpart told me that the Kyrgyz President had publicly announced that action would be taken [against those involved in the mob violence],” he added. “Many people have already been arrested by law enforcement agencies.”
Asked about the future of the returning students, he informed he had called for a meeting of the all stakeholders on Friday to look into the possibility of accommodating them in the Pakistani medical institutions.
Dar said he also found out that nearly 1,100 workers from Pakistan residing in Kyrgyzstan were being pursued for deportation by the government due to their illegal stay.
“I requested the Kyrgyz deputy prime minister to legalize them instead of deporting them and he agreed by saying that he would seek approval from the National Security Committee and Ministry of Immigration to make that possible,” he continued.
Dar said he had instructed the foreign secretary and the country’s diplomatic mission in Bishkek to pursue the issue until its implementation.
“This will benefit around 1,100 families in Pakistan,” he added.
Pakistan forms committee to probe Kyrgyzstan mob attacks, says over 4,000 students evacuated
https://arab.news/rkv3t
Pakistan forms committee to probe Kyrgyzstan mob attacks, says over 4,000 students evacuated
- Ishaq Dar says the inquiry committee will coordinate with the Kyrgyz authorities and submit report in two weeks
- Deputy PM says he asked his Kyrgyz counterpart to legalize 1,100 Pakistani workers being pursued for deportation
Pakistan bulk cargo terminal signs deal to ship copper-gold output from Reko Diq
- Pakistan International Bulk Terminal says the deal positions it as the primary logistics gateway for Reko Diq’s mineral output
- A top Barrick Mining official says the agreement marks a ‘step forward,’ with exports from the project expected to begin in 2028
ISLAMABAD: A bulk cargo terminal operating at Pakistan’s Port Qasim has signed an agreement to handle and export copper-gold commodities from Reko Diq, including minerals, metals and other natural earth resources, in a move expected to support multibillion-dollar mineral exports from the country, the company said on Monday.
The terminal operator, Pakistan International Bulk Terminal Limited (PIBT), said the agreement positions it as the primary export gateway for Reko Diq’s mineral output and strengthens Pakistan’s ambitions to expand its footprint in global commodity markets.
The deal covers logistics, storage and exports for output from the Reko Diq copper-gold project in southwestern Balochistan province, one of the world’s largest undeveloped mineral deposits, with shipments expected to begin from 2028.
“This agreement is a historic milestone for PIBT and Pakistan, enabling exports from one of the world’s most significant mining projects and serving as a cornerstone for national economic growth,” Sharique Azim Siddiqui, CEO of PIBT, said in a statement.
He expressed appreciation to the government, the Special Investment Facilitation Council, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the Port Qasim Authority for their “pivotal role.”
Barrick Mining Corporation, which is developing Reko Diq, also welcomed the agreement.
“We’re delighted to have signed this important agreement with PIBT which marks another step forward in ensuring that Reko Diq delivers lasting value to all our stakeholders but particularly the people of Balochistan and Pakistan,” Mark Hill, the company’s top official, said.
PIBT is a fully mechanized multipurpose bulk terminal located at Port Qasim and was developed with a $305 million investment in partnership with the International Finance Corporation.
The terminal currently has an annual handling capacity of 12 million tons of imports and 4 million tons of exports, with further investment planned to upgrade its export systems, the company said.
