Pakistan bid to defuse Kyrgyzstan crisis faces trust issues
Pakistan over violence against foreign students in Bishkek reveals a sentiment of mistrust that is thwarting Islamabad's efforts to improve ties with the Central Asian nation by playing the religion card.
The Kyrgyz government has not only lodged protests with Pakistani authorities but also issued a statement blaming the Pakistani media for spreading rumours.
On Sunday, Pakistan's foreign minister and deputy prime minister travelled to Bishkek in a bid to diffuse the crisis.
While India's external affairs ministry has issued an advisory urging Indian students to exercise caution and contact the Indian Embassy for emergency support, Bishkek has assured India that its citizens will be safe.
At the heart of the matter is derogatory remarks allegedly made by Pakistani students against their local counterparts. There are also allegations that a section of the Pakistani students misbehaved with local women.
On Saturday, some Pakistani students returned to Lahore.
At present, 12,000 Pakistani students are studying in Kyrgyzstan. The Pakistani government said it aims to bring back 500 students from Kyrgyzstan on Sunday.
Compared with Indian nationals, Pakistanis are often treated with scepticism across Central Asia.
The goodwill of Indian nationals dates back to the days of the Soviet Union and soft power. Bollywood movies are hugely popular in all erstwhile Soviet Union states, including Central Asia. And Indian students, studying mostly medicine, have not
