BISHKEK: Students from Pakistan and other Asian countries are leaving Kyrgyzstan by the hundreds after an angry mob attacked their living quarters this month, although some hope to return when the situation calms down.
Hundreds of Kyrgyz young men stormed a hostel in capital Bishkek in the early hours of May 17 and attacked foreign students there because of a brawl that happened between several Kyrgyz men and foreigners a few days earlier.
Police, although present, were unable to stop the violence.
“They invaded our... hostel and it was a terrifying moment for all of us and it was the worst nightmare,” said Imran Yousaf, a pathologist at the International University Kyrgyzstan.
He said that despite the students’ attempts to barricade entrances and hide, the attackers beat up and assaulted several students including some women.
“We were very much surprised and we were so much mentally traumatized at that time when people came in,” Yousaf said. “I don’t know what kind of provocateur is responsible for that kind of hatred among them.”
The government of Pakistan has arranged extra flights leaving daily from Bishkek and many students are using the opportunity to return home, at least temporarily.
Medical schools of Kyrgyzstan have over the last few decades become popular among aspiring doctors from India, Pakistan and some other Asian and Arab countries, in part thanks to relatively affordable fees and living expenses.
The Kyrgyz government has sought to allay foreign students’ fears and held meetings with their leaders, said Yousaf, who expressed hope that those who are leaving will return in a few months. Police have detained more than a dozen of the suspected attackers.
“The government of Kyrgyzstan has taken beautiful steps,.. our student council was invited to the parliament of Kyrgyzstan, along with the President, there was a one-on-one meeting, and I hope, Inshallah (God willing), with hope in my eyes and logic on my back, that this situation will dampen in the days to come,” Yousaf said.
“I am saying to all my friends, don’t think that Kyrgyzstan is bad,” said another student, Hamza Yasin.
Pakistanis among hundreds of foreign students flee Kyrgyzstan after mob attack
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Pakistanis among hundreds of foreign students flee Kyrgyzstan after mob attack
- Hundreds of Kyrgyz men stormed a hostel in Bishkek on May 17 and attacked foreign students because of an earlier brawl
- The Pakistani government has arranged extra flights leaving daily from Bishkek and many students are using the opportunity
Pakistani, Bangladeshi officials discuss trade, investment and aviation as ties thaw
- Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war
- Ties between Pakistan, Bangladesh have warmed up since last year and both nations have resumed sea trade
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider on Sunday met Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka, the latter's office said on, with the two figures discussing trade, investment and aviation.
Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war, which saw the part previously referred to as East Pakistan seceding to form the independent nation of Bangladesh.
Ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh have warmed up since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster as a result of a student-led uprising in August 2024. Relations remain frosty between Dhaka and New Delhi over India’s decision to grant asylum to Hasina.
Pakistan has attempted to forge closer ties with Bangladesh in recent months and both South Asian nations last year began sea trade, followed by efforts to expand government-to-government commerce.
"During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to expand cooperation in trade, investment, and aviation as well as scaling up cultural, educational and medical exchanges to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two South Asian nations," Yunus's office said in a statement on X.
In 2023-24 Pakistan exported goods worth $661 million to Bangladesh, while its imports were only $57 million, according to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. In Aug. this year, the Pakistani and Bangladeshi commerce ministries signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Joint Working Group on Trade, aiming to raise their bilateral trade volume to $1 billion in the financial year that began in July.
The Pakistani high commissioner noted that bilateral trade has recorded a 20 percent growth compared to last year, with business communities from both countries actively exploring new investment opportunities, according to the statement.
He highlighted a significant increase in cultural exchanges, adding that Bangladeshi students have shown strong interest in higher education opportunities in Pakistan, particularly in medical sciences, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence. Haider also said that Dhaka-Karachi direct flights are expected to start in January.
"Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus welcomed the growing interactions between the two countries and emphasized the importance of increased visits as well as cultural, educational and people-to-people exchanges among SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) member states," the statement read.
"Professor Yunus also underscored the need to further boost Bangladesh–Pakistan trade and expressed hope that during Mr. Haider’s tenure, both countries would explore new avenues for investment and joint venture businesses."
