Pakistan will not close embassy in Bishkek: FM

Islamabad, June 16, IRNA -- Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Tuesday that Pakistan Embassy in the capital of Kyrgyzstan will continue working despite violence which also left one Pakistani student dead.

Pakistani student Ali Raza was killed during the ethnic violence in Osh, the second largest city of Kyrgyzstan.

Two military transport planes Tuesday airlifted some 250 Pakistanis, mostly students, from Osh who had been stranded for six days.

Talking to reporters in Islamabad after receiving repatriated students and citizens on arrival from Kyrgyzstan, Foreign Minister Qureshi said Pakistan enjoys excellent relations with Kyrgyzstan and wanted to maintain good relations with the Central Asian country.

He said a meeting of the regional countries is in progress to review the deteriorated situation in Kyrgyzstan and to find out a solution to normalise the situation there.

The body of slain Ali Reza who was killed in the riots there was also brought by the same plane.

The Foreign Minister said all the stranded Pakistanis in Kyrgyzstan are being brought back home. He said Pakistan also sent relief goods including food items and medicines to Kyrgyzstan.

To a question, the Minister said all the Pakistanis have been evacuated with the arrival of this plane.

Chairman National Disaster Management Authority, Retd. Lt. General Nadeem Ahmad while talking to newsmen said if any Pakistanis was found stranded there, arrangements would be made to bring them back.

He said arrangements have been made for their stay in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and they have the telephone facility to contact their relatives./end