Pak journalist abducted in Lahore, returns home hours later

TIL Desk/World/Lahore/ A 52-year-old Pakistani journalist and activist known for her criticism of Pakistan’s military was allegedly abducted by unknown men in Lahore, but was later released as netizens took to social media blaming intelligence agencies for her forced disappearance.

Gul Bukhari was on her way to the Waqt TV studio for a show when she was intercepted and abducted on Sherpao Bridge in Lahore’s Cantonment area at around 11 pm last night. The driver of the Waqt TV cab told the police that two persons came out of a double-cabin and asked Bukhari to get into their vehicle.

“When she refused they bundled her up in the vehicle and sped away,” he said, adding that her abductors did not say anything to him.  Later, Bukhari’s family registered a missing report at a local police station. As the news of Bukhari’s abduction broke out, several people took to the social media blaming the intelligence agencies for her forced disappearance for her extreme views about the Pakistani army. Some three hours later, Bukhari’s family confirmed that she has returned home. It, however, did not talk about her abductors.