The news of her recovery was confirmed by National Commission on Human Rights. Retired Justice Javed Iqbal, head of missing person commission, confirmed Shahzadi's recovery.
Justice (r) Javed Iqbal told BBC Urdu that Zeenat was recovered from near the Pak-Afghan border, on Wednesday night. According to the Javed Iqbal, current National Accountability Bureau chief, some non-state actors and enemy agencies has kidnapped her. Security forces recovered her with the help of tribal elders in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwah
The activist cum journalist, raised her voice for disappearance of victims, went missing in August, 2015. Zeenat was working on the trial of an Indian citizen, Hamid Ansari, who was caught by Pakistani agencies. She had filed an application with the Supreme Court's Human Rights Cell on behalf of Hamid's mother.
On 19 August 2015, Zeenat took a rickshaw to work but never arrived there, with two cars blocking her on the road, a few men got out and abducted her in broad daylight. The story of her abduction appeared on mainstream media after her younger brother committed suicide.
Zeenat Shahzadi was the first female journalist to go missing.