Sami Ibrahim, a respected journalist and TV host, has vanished from the federal capital, it was discovered on Thursday.

The Islamabad police said in a statement that while attempts are being made to find Ibrahim, it would be premature to make any final judgements just yet.

The police will work with the veteran journalist’s family, the statement continued. In the meanwhile, the senior journalist was stopped by four automobiles at Sixth Avenue, Sector G-6, at around 9 p.m. on Wednesday after leaving his workplace to travel home with his driver, according to a complaint made at Aabpara Police Station by Ibrahim’s brother Ali Raza.

Ibrahim, according to the complaint, was seized without his will by eight to ten unidentified males who also stole three of the driver’s personal cell phones and the car keys.

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The announcement coincides with a harsh crackdown by the government on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership, members, and sympathisers.

The state has also retaliated against media employees for speaking out in favour of the well-liked political party and/or against infringements on civil freedoms and judicial rights.

Earlier last month, authorities also detained journalists Imran Riaz Khan and Aftab Iqbal, both of whom are ardent PTI supporters. While the former’s current whereabouts are unknown, the latter has supposedly been freed.

Social media users have criticized Ibrahim’s disappearance.

What should the rest of the world make of Pakistan, where renowned journalists may just vanish like this? After 14 days, Imran Riaz is still missing; police say they are unsure of his whereabouts. He was picked up at the Sialkot Airport, writes prominent journalist Moeed Pirzada on Twitter.