Naqshbandi was abducted on March 4 with La Repubblica reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo and the group's driver, Sayed Agha, in Helmand province. Agha was slain a few days after the abduction, while the Italian Mastrogiacomo was released March 19 in exchange for five Taliban prisoners.
Naqshbandi, a freelance journalist with several clients, was accompanying Mastrogiacomo on a trip to interview Taliban leaders when the kidnapping took place.