Hasan Abdullah, an anchor and reporter for Pakistan's leading television channel Dawn News, was detained for six hours by officers of an intelligence agency on August 26 and was released after being interrogated, the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has reported.
The agents kept his cellphone and a tape containing an interview with Balach Marri, head of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), who was killed in November 2007. BLA is a militant, separatist organisation that has attacked civilians, official and military personnel and infrastructure.
According to press reports, Hasan Abdullah left his home and was driving to the office on the morning of August 26 when his car was intercepted by a black Toyota Corolla causing a collision. One of the car's occupants pointed a pistol at the journalist and said "Mr. Hasan, get in the car". Hasan Abdullah was blindfolded and, after having been driven around for 90 minutes, he was taken into a house. Throughout his six-hour detention, he was kept blindfolded.
The intelligence personnel dropped him off near his car at around 5:00 p.m. (local time).
