PNN – Following the occurrence of a group conflict involving foreigners in one of the hostels in Bishkek, the police arrested three foreign citizens and opened a case under the title of “hooliganism”, but these arrests did not satisfy the local residents and they protested and blocked the road.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, some social media claimed that as a result of these protests and the attack of protesters on the dormitories of foreign students, three Pakistani students were killed in this attack, but the governments of Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan said that they had not received a report about this.
The Consulate of Pakistan in Kyrgyzstan announced on X channel that so far, several dormitories belonging to medical universities in Bishkek and private residences of international students, including Pakistanis, have been attacked. There are reports of minor injuries to several Pakistani students.
According to Kyrgyz News, on the evening of May 17, a crowd of Kyrgyz youths gathered near the dormitory where the conflict occurred, and because of this, all police forces in Bishkek were on full alert.
According to this media report, the arrest of foreign citizens could not reduce the dissatisfaction of local residents. As a result, these disgruntled citizens decided to block the road and the police started to disperse the protesters. Law enforcement officers started arresting the participants in the conflict. Initially, it was reported that 10 to 15 attackers were arrested.
The protesters did not obey the demands of the police and according to preliminary information, they tried to cross the barriers to attack the dormitories, but the officers prevented them.
However, the number of protesters increased and according to social networks, more than 300 people gathered to deal with the foreign residents of the dormitory. However, the police dispersed them and arrested 50 people. Nevertheless, the police surrounded and controlled the dormitories of foreign students to protect the safety of the students.
After reports of violence against Pakistani students in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan expressed concern and called for an immediate investigation into the situation.
Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif expressed deep concern about the situation of Pakistani students in Bishkek and asked the Pakistani ambassador to Kyrgyzstan to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of students.
Also, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan protested against the incidents against the students of that country in Bishkek by summoning the chargé d’affaires of the Kyrgyz embassy and, while being concerned about the recent violence, asked Kyrgyzstan to guarantee the safety of Pakistani nationals.
Indian Foreign Minister Subramaniam Jaishenkar also announced that he is monitoring the affairs of Indian students in Bishkek and asks them to be in constant contact with the embassy of this country.
Kyrgyz nationals targeted medical university dormitories in Bishkek where students from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh live.
The Indian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan emphasized that the situation is calm at the moment, but students are advised to stay in their residences for the time being and contact the embassy in any case.
While there are some rumors on social networks that three Pakistani students have been killed in these clashes, the country’s government has said that it has not yet received reports of any casualties.
The ambassador of Pakistan in Bishkek also asked the Pakistani students to stay in full control of the situation in the dormitories and avoid being outside the residence and dormitories.