DPM constitutes inquiry committee on Bishkek incident

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has constituted an inquiry committee to probe into the factors and causes that led to mob attacks on Pakistani students at Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan.

Addressing a news conference along with Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi in Islamabad today, he said the committee will also investigate about the role of Pakistani Mission at Bishkek for facilitation of students.

The Foreign Minister said the committee will coordinate with Kyrgyz authorities and review all the findings and developments at Bishkek and submit its report within two weeks.

He said three thousand two hundred thirty-three students have been brought back from Bishkek so far, while a total of four thousand thirty-six would be repatriated to Pakistan till today.

The Foreign Minister said after attending SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting at Astana in Kazakhstan, he visited Kyrgyzstan to take stock of situation following riots and mob attacks on Pakistani students at Bishkek.

He said during his interaction there, the Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister informed him that situation in Bishkek is totally under the control and normalcy returned there. He further guaranteed that perpetrators of the riots would be punished according to law.

Ishaq Dar also informed that eleven hundred Pakistani nationals are currently working in different industries and doing jobs in Kyrgyzstan and the Kyrgyz government is planning to deport them due to their illegal stay there.

The Foreign Minister said during his meeting, he also requested the Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister to regularize their stay instead of deporting them and he agreed to my proposal.

He said the Kyrgyz authorities informed that the riots were not Pakistan-specific and students hailing from other countries including Bangladesh, India and some Arab countries were also targeted.

Ishaq Dar said the Kyrgyz authorities assured him that they have zero-tolerance towards violent incidents and also have rounded up scores of people involved in these riots.

Replying to a question, the Foreign Minister said Kyrgyzstan has a huge potential to accommodate Pakistani skilled workforce and the government will take all out measures to export Pakistani human capital there.