Expelled by Pakistan: nytimes.com/2013/05/11/opi…

— Declan Walsh(@declanwalsh) May 11, 2013

The Islamabad bureau chief for the New York Times was hastily expelled from Pakistan last week, the newspaper reported on Friday.

According to a report by the Associated Press, foreign correspondent Declan Walsh was delivered a two-sentence letter on Thursday that demanded he leave the country.

Walsh’s final article for the paper from Pakistan was filed on May 8th. The focus of the report was on political favors in Pakistan, “in particular those designed to steer Saturday’s election,” the Atlantic Wire reported.

New York Times editor Jill Abramson defended her colleague, saying Walsh is a “reporter of integrity” who published “balanced, nuanced and factual” reports in Pakistan.

Walsh was hired to report for the paper in January 2012. Prior to that, Walsh served as a correspondent for The Guardian newspaper in Britain.

Associated Press: Pakistan expels New York Times journalist
Atlantic Wire: New York Times editor protests journalist’s expulsion
New York Times: Political handouts thrive in Pakistan