More than 300 more Pakistanis retuned from Bishkek, landing in Islamabad and Lahore on separate flights on Monday, as the return of students stranded in Kyrgyzstan continues following the events of violence in the Kyrgyz capital last week.
Islamabad International Airport manager Aftab Gillani welcomed 179 returnees on their homecoming in the federal capital and presented flower bouquets to them.
Mob attacks erupted in Bishkek, targeting a number of Pakistani and other foreign students last Friday, which resulted in injuries of various Pakistanis.
As per Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar about 11,000 students were in Bishkek while 6,000 others were in different cities.
The situation in the Kyrgyz capital, according to the students stuck there became out of control as they feared for their lives and demanded immediate evacuation, but the government downplayed the unrest in the Central Asian state.
Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Engineer Amir Muqam, who was present to greet the students at Islamabad airport said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was personally monitoring the situation.
“Whoever wants to return to the country, the government of Pakistan will provide all kinds of assistance to them,” he said. The minister revealed that more flights will bring the students back home.
“Our first priority is the safety of Pakistani students,” he said, adding that the protection of life and property of Pakistanis will be ensured in every case.
Meanwhile, federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar received another 170 students in Lahore, which he said was the fourth batch arriving from the Kyrgyzstan.
The minister assured that all possible measures would be taken to facilitate the students returning from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
