Two Pakistani journalists, arrested March 5 for filming near an air base used by the United States, have been granted bail. Their relatives say they were tortured while in the custody of the Pakistani security service.

An excerpt:

Mr Ropeta's brother, Ghan Sham, told the Associated Press news agency on Thursday that 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.

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.