Pakistanis in Kyrgyzstan
Encyclopedia
There is a small population of Pakistanis in Kyrgyzstan, primarily students pursuing medical degrees. Most Pakistanis are based in the capital city of Bishkek
. There are 200 Pakistani students in Kyrgyz State Medical Academy
alone. They have complained to the media about the poor treatment they face at the hands of local militsiya
. During the 2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots
, fifteen Pakistani students were taken hostage by militants in Osh
, among whom one, a final-year engineering student named Ali Raza was killed. Another 263 were evacuated from the city. Students in unaffected areas were not evacuated and remained in the country. Later that year, Pakistani businessman Zahid Jan of ZTK Co. announced plans to invest in Jalal-Abad
with the construction of a juice factory there.
Total population estimates vary. Kyrgyzstan's census (which records ethnicity, rather than citizenship) gives a line item for "ethnic groups of India and Pakistan" (народы Индии и Пакистана). This has fluctuated significantly over the decades, with 10 in the 1989 Soviet Census
, 506 in the 1999 Census, and 41 in the 2009 Census. Kyrgyzstan's ambassador to Pakistan was quoted in a Pakistan Observer
interview as stating that 2,000 Pakistanis studied in Kyrgyzstan at the time.
Bishkek
Bishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
. There are 200 Pakistani students in Kyrgyz State Medical Academy
Kyrgyz State Medical Academy
The Kyrgyz State Medical Institute was opened on the 1st September 1939 in city of Bishkek with recruitment of 200 students. The establishment of the Institute was invaluably contributed to by the 1-st Moscow Medical Institute, high medical schools of Saint-Petersburg, Almaty, Tashkent and other...
alone. They have complained to the media about the poor treatment they face at the hands of local militsiya
Militsiya
Militsiya or militia is used as an official name of the civilian police in several former communist states, despite its original military connotation...
. During the 2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots
2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots
The 2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots were clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan, primarily in the cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad, in the aftermath of the ouster of former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on April 7. It is part of the larger 2010 Kyrgyzstan crisis. Violence that...
, fifteen Pakistani students were taken hostage by militants in Osh
Osh
Osh is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country and often referred to as the "capital of the south". The city is at least 3,000 years old, and has served as the administrative center of Osh Province since 1939...
, among whom one, a final-year engineering student named Ali Raza was killed. Another 263 were evacuated from the city. Students in unaffected areas were not evacuated and remained in the country. Later that year, Pakistani businessman Zahid Jan of ZTK Co. announced plans to invest in Jalal-Abad
Jalal-Abad
Jalalabat is the administrative and economic centre of Jalal-Abad Province in southwestern Kyrgyzstan, with a population of about 150,000...
with the construction of a juice factory there.
Total population estimates vary. Kyrgyzstan's census (which records ethnicity, rather than citizenship) gives a line item for "ethnic groups of India and Pakistan" (народы Индии и Пакистана). This has fluctuated significantly over the decades, with 10 in the 1989 Soviet Census
Soviet Census (1989)
The 1989 Soviet census, conducted between January 12-19 of that year, was the last one conducted in the former USSR. It resulted in a total population of 286,730,819 inhabitants...
, 506 in the 1999 Census, and 41 in the 2009 Census. Kyrgyzstan's ambassador to Pakistan was quoted in a Pakistan Observer
Pakistan Observer
The Pakistan Observer is an English-language daily newspaper published in Islamabad, Pakistan.-Circulation and publication:Although not in the league of Dawn or The News International – Pakistan's two other widely read English-language newspapers – it is popular among its...
interview as stating that 2,000 Pakistanis studied in Kyrgyzstan at the time.