LAHORE: Columnist Gul Bukhari was allegedly abducted by unidentified men in Lahore late Tuesday night.
Journalist Munizae Jahangir, quoting family, confirmed Bukhari was kidnapped however she returned home safe and sound.
“Gul Bokhari’s family confirms to me that she has returned home and is fine. The people who picked her up dropped her back again. Thank God!,” she tweeted.
Other journalists also confirmed the development on Twitter early Wednesday.
According to sources, Bukhari was on her way to appear in a *Waqt News* TV show when persons intercepted her vehicle near Sherpao Bridge in Cantonment area. She was shifted to an undisclosed location.
Bukhari, known for her critical views against non-democratic forces, is a contributing writer at *The Nation *newspaper.
Concerns about freedom of expression and press censorship have grown in the country as journalists continue to face challenges including physical assault, threats, illegal detention, arrest and at times murder.
In its Press Freedom Index 2018, media freedom watchdog, Reporters Reporters Without Borders ranked Pakistan at 139 among 180 countries, showing no improvement in comparison to 2017.
The alleged abduction had triggered hashtag #BringBackGulBukhari link> on Twitter: