KARACHI: Exactly a week after the first special flight brought hundreds of trapped students from Kyrgyzstan, the first batch of over 200 students belonging to different parts of Sindh landed here at the Karachi airport on Thursday.

Some 180 students are still waiting for their return from the landlocked central Asian country.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah received the students who hailed from Sindh districts.

Emotional scenes were witnessed at the Quaid-i-Azam International Airport where parents and family members received the students with tears in their eyes and smiles on their face.

The students finally made to their home after remaining trapped in Kyrgyzstan for more than 10 days amid violent attacks on foreigners.

CM Murad says remaining 180 students will be brought back at the earliest

The students also thanked the Sindh chief minister “for his personal efforts and being consistently in touch with the students through Pakistani embassy”.

A statement issued by CM House said that as many as 205 students returned home after special arrangements were made by the provincial government.

CM Shah said that the provincial government efforts finally yielded results and it was still in contact with the Sindh students in Kyrgyzstan and Pakistani embassy in the Central Asian country.

“Some 205 students, including 55 girls and 150 boys, have so far returned while the remaining 180 will soon be brought back,” said Mr Shah while talking to reporters at the airport.

“Out of the remaining 180 students, six are said to be injured but their condition is stable. Among the 205 students, who have returned today [Thursday] from Kyrgyzstan, 99 belong to Karachi, 22 from Hyderabad, 13 from Khairpur, 15 from Naushehro Feroze, 12 each from Sukkur and Nawabshah, five each from Badin, Dadu, Mirpurkhas and Jacobabad, three from Tando Adam, two each from Jamshoro and Kashmore and one each from Kandhkot, Pano Aqil and Tharparkar.”

He said right after the reports emerged of attacks on Pakistani students in Kyrgyzstan, the Sindh government contacted the foreign ministry and made every effort for special flights for the students so that they could return back as early as possible.

Only on Wednesday, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori contacted Minister of Foreign Affairs Senator Ishaq Dar requesting for special arrangements for return of students of Sindh as well.

Senator Dar had assured the Sindh government of making all efforts for return of all the Pakistani students and ensured first available flight for Sindh students on Thursday morning.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2024