Pakistan, India Urge Citizens in Kyrgyzstan to Stay Indoors
Mob Violence Prompts Warning
Citizens Advised to Stay Safe Amid Unrest
Pakistan and India have warned their citizens studying in Kyrgyzstan to stay indoors after international students were attacked in the capital, Bishkek. The violence, which began on May 5, has left at least 12 people dead and more than 100 injured, according to local media reports.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Kyrgyz Ambassador and handed him a note of protest, condemning the attacks. India's Foreign Ministry also issued a statement expressing concern and advising its citizens to remain cautious.
Several Pakistani students in Kyrgyzstan have given harrowing accounts of the mob violence. One student, who identified himself as Khan, told RFERL that he had been attacked by a group of men while walking home from school.
"They started beating me with sticks and stones," Khan said. "I thought I was going to die."
The Kyrgyz government has deployed security forces to quell the violence and has imposed a curfew in Bishkek.
The attacks have come as a shock to many in Kyrgyzstan, which has a long history of ethnic and religious tolerance. The country is home to a large number of international students, many of whom come from neighboring countries such as Pakistan and India.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry has urged its citizens in Kyrgyzstan to stay indoors and to avoid any contact with the protests.
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