ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Tuesday said repatriation of stranded Pakistanis in violence hit Kyrgyzstan was the top priority before the government and sincere efforts were made to bring back all these students to Pakistan.
He was talking to newsmen at Chaklala Airbase, where he received a second batch of 130 Pakistani students who were brought back from Kyrgyzstan on a special air craft of the Pakistan Air Force.
The foreign minister said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani took keen interest and issued immediate orders for the measures to be taken for early repatriation of the Pakistanis.
The minister said one C-130 plane brought 130 Pakistani students from Osh early Tuesday morning while another plane brought another batch of students today.
The foreign minister said although some of the parents wanted their children moved to a safer place in Kyrgyzstan, due to the bad situation in the country, it was not possible to do so. As a result the government decided to bring back the stranded Pakistani students.
He said the plane also took relief goods to distribute among the people rendered homeless by the ruthless clashes.Qureshi said Pakistan was one of the first countries, who made arrangements and its aircraft went to Osh, to take back its citizens who were stranded there.
The C-130 plane also brought back the body of Pakistani student Ali Raza who was killed in these riots.
He said the Foreign Office and the government of Pakistan is in contact with the Kyrgyzstan government for safe return of the remaining Pakistanis.
He however said Pakistan's ambassador in Kyrgyzstan has also been directed to contact all the Pakistanis so that if they wanted to come back, the government will make necessary arrangements in this regard.
He said Pakistan's Embassy in Bishkek is making efforts to gather all Pakistanis at one point to send them back from Osh Airport.
The minister said initially the PAF has managed three C-130 planes for repatriation of stranded Pakistani and if needed, more planes could be managed.
Qureshi said he is in contact with the parents of students studying in Kyrgyzstan.
Replying to a question, the foreign minister said, priority was given to save the lives of the Pakistani students and added that due to timely efforts of the government, the students reached Pakistan safely.
He said that all the students have been repatriated to Pakistan from Kyrgyzstan.
The Foreign Minister said representatives of many countries are meeting in Moscow to review the situation in Kyrgyzstan.
He said the staff of the Pakistani embassy in Bishkek are remaining there because the situation in the capital was not bad.
He said when the situation in Kyrgyzstan will be improved, the government will discuss the issue of completion of the education of these students who came back without completing their education as they were in the final years of their education.
The foreign minister said that according to the students, who arrived here today, there are no more stranded Pakistani nationals at Osh at the moment.
He was talking to newsmen at Chaklala Airbase, where he received a second batch of 130 Pakistani students who were brought back from Kyrgyzstan on a special air craft of the Pakistan Air Force.
The foreign minister said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani took keen interest and issued immediate orders for the measures to be taken for early repatriation of the Pakistanis.
The minister said one C-130 plane brought 130 Pakistani students from Osh early Tuesday morning while another plane brought another batch of students today.
The foreign minister said although some of the parents wanted their children moved to a safer place in Kyrgyzstan, due to the bad situation in the country, it was not possible to do so. As a result the government decided to bring back the stranded Pakistani students.
He said the plane also took relief goods to distribute among the people rendered homeless by the ruthless clashes.Qureshi said Pakistan was one of the first countries, who made arrangements and its aircraft went to Osh, to take back its citizens who were stranded there.
The C-130 plane also brought back the body of Pakistani student Ali Raza who was killed in these riots.
He said the Foreign Office and the government of Pakistan is in contact with the Kyrgyzstan government for safe return of the remaining Pakistanis.
He however said Pakistan's ambassador in Kyrgyzstan has also been directed to contact all the Pakistanis so that if they wanted to come back, the government will make necessary arrangements in this regard.
He said Pakistan's Embassy in Bishkek is making efforts to gather all Pakistanis at one point to send them back from Osh Airport.
The minister said initially the PAF has managed three C-130 planes for repatriation of stranded Pakistani and if needed, more planes could be managed.
Qureshi said he is in contact with the parents of students studying in Kyrgyzstan.
Replying to a question, the foreign minister said, priority was given to save the lives of the Pakistani students and added that due to timely efforts of the government, the students reached Pakistan safely.
He said that all the students have been repatriated to Pakistan from Kyrgyzstan.
The Foreign Minister said representatives of many countries are meeting in Moscow to review the situation in Kyrgyzstan.
He said the staff of the Pakistani embassy in Bishkek are remaining there because the situation in the capital was not bad.
He said when the situation in Kyrgyzstan will be improved, the government will discuss the issue of completion of the education of these students who came back without completing their education as they were in the final years of their education.
The foreign minister said that according to the students, who arrived here today, there are no more stranded Pakistani nationals at Osh at the moment.
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