The Deputy Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Almaz Imangaziev has met with a delegation from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, led by Additional Secretary Muhammad Saleem. The meeting in Bishkek centered on addressing safety concerns following unrest on May 13, when medical students from Egypt were attacked, a video of which went viral. This then swelled into mass disorder on the night of May 17-18, when a crowd of approximately 1,000 protesters blocked several streets in the center of Bishkek.
During the meeting, the Kyrgyz side provided detailed information regarding the recent conflagration, with Imangaziev assuring the Pakistani delegation that all necessary measures to ensure the safety of foreign citizens have been taken, and that comprehensive efforts are underway to prevent such incidents in the future.
This meeting, however, came against the backdrop of the Bishkek Police and State National Security Committee carrying out more raids on foreign citizens, wherein 64 “illegal migrants” were rounded up. As part of a campaign launched in March, the authorities have deported some 1,500 Pakistanis and 1,000 Bangladeshis.
The unrest in Bishkek has served to underscore splits within the government’s ranks. Deputy Cabinet Chairman, Edil Baisalov described those who attacked the foreign students as a “bunch of hooligans,” whilst President Japarov stated that the “demands of our patriotic youth to stop the illegal migration of foreign citizens and to take tough measures against those who allow such activities are certainly correct.”
