Missing reporters appear in court

Campaigning groups have strongly criticised treatment of the pair

Two Pakistani journalists working for a private TV station have appeared in court three months after relatives say they disappeared.

Mukesh Ropeta, a reporter, and cameraman Sanjay Kumar were remanded in police custody for seven days. Relatives say they have been tortured.

Both were presented before a judge in the town of Jacobabad, 400 kms (249 miles) from Karachi.

They disappeared on March 5 while filming an airbase used by US forces.

Fraudulent documents

"I saw my brother last night at a police station in Jacobabad," Mr Ropeta's brother, Ghan Sham, told the Associated Press news agency.

"He had been handed over to police by intelligence agents."

Journalists in Pakistan have staged protests against disappearances

Mr Sham said his brother appeared "very thin and weak" and had been tortured.

There has been no comment from the authorities on the torture claim.

The pair were reported by local journalists to have been arrested by law enforcement officers while filming at Shahbaz Airbase, which is used for joint exercises between the US, Pakistan and other nations.

They were charged on Wednesday with violating secrecy laws and having fraudulent documents.

The pair were employees of Geo TV, but the channel did not report news of their disappearance until Monday this week.

On Wednesday, Geo TV issued a statement saying that Mr Ropeta was being held without charge.

Earlier this month, the prime minister promised a judicial enquiry into the killing of local journalist Hayatullah Khan, 30, after his body was found in the North Waziristan tribal region.

Mr Khan had been reporting on the death of an alleged al-Qaeda commander.