Homecoming amidst turmoil: Islamabad welcomes 347 students from Kyrgyzstan

ISLAMABAD: Two flights from Kyrgyzstan brought an additional 347 Pakistani students to Islamabad, swelling the total number of arrivals to 810 across five flights.

At the airport, families anxiously awaited the arrival of their children. Returning students recounted have harrowing experiences and lodged complaints against the Pakistani embassy for reported neglect.

Read more: GB CM seeks special flights to evacuate students from Kyrgyzstan

Several Pakistani students are still stranded in Kyrgyzstan with the Chief Minister of Balochistan issuing an order for the immediate repatriation of 95 Baloch students stuck in Kyrgyzstan. The Baloch CM called for an emergency aircraft to help bring the students back.

Pakistani students were violently attacked by Kyrgyz mobs on May 17. Reports immediately surfaced online of a violent attack on Pakistani medical students in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, with hundreds sustaining injuries.

The incident stemmed from a scuffle between Egyptian students and locals, escalating into a widespread assault on all foreigners, particularly Pakistanis as they form a significant part of the foreign student community.

Several posts on social media by Pakistani students reported that they faced brutal violence, with hostels and residences breached and occupants assaulted. Male students bore severe beatings, while female students were subjected to harassment.

Read more: Thousands of Pakistani students attacked by locals in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

While the Pakistani embassy issued a warning urging students to stay indoors for their safety, many Pakistani students bitterly complained of complete negligence and incompetency from their embassy in Bishkek.