Pakistani journalist taken from home, freed after 24 hours

KARACHI, Pakistan – A Pakistani journalist says a group of men in security forces’ uniform took him from his home in the port city of Karachi and freed him after holding him for 24 hours.

Abdullah Zafar says the men stormed his home over the weekend and took him to an undisclosed location. Zafar declined to say how he was freed and would not give further details on Monday. He works for Pakistan’s English-language newspaper, The Nation.

Pakistan has been cracking down on journalists, making it an offence to criticize the government, the military or the police.

The latest development comes weeks after authorities in the southwest region of the country released a local journalist after holding him for several days.