Kyrgyzstan reassures Islamabad of Pakistani students’ safety

Kyrgyzstan has assured Pakistani government of taking every possible step to ensure safety and well-being of all foreign students, including Pakistanis, in Bishkek. The assurance was given by the Education Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Dogdurkul Kendirbaeva, who met her Pakistani counterpart, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, at Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London. During the meeting, Kyrgyzstan Education Minister expressed regret and apologized for the incidents that had caused distress and concern among Pakistani students and their families. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui expressed appreciation for the apology and reiterated Pakistan's commitment to maintaining trust and strengthening relations between the two countries. The Federal Education Minister also underscored the importance of providing a peaceful environment for Pakistani students to continue their studies. Addressing the session on Climate Education at Education World Forum (EWF) 2024 at London, the Federal Education Minister Dr. K halid Maqbool Siddiqui emphasized the urgent need for climate education in the country. He said Pakistan is the world's 5th largest nation by population with 252 million people and faces significant educational challenges. Currently, 54.2 million children are in school, but 26.2 million are not, prompting the Prime Minister to declare an Education Emergency. The Minister further said despite contributing less than one percent to global climate change, Pakistan is the 8th most affected country, with severe natural disasters like the catastrophic floods of 2022 disrupting education for 3.5 million children. Highlighting several innovative initiatives to combat climate challenges through education, Khalid Maqbook Siddiqui said the Clean Green School Program aims to enhance climate literacy, while Punjab Province has introduced climate change as a separate subject with the expert-developed Green Book. Source: Radio Pakistan