"Armed men released Lal Wazir and dropped him near Azam Warsak Bazar today," his uncle Ibrahim Wazir told AFP.
Lal Wazir, 38, who works for a local newspaper in the South Waziristan town of Azam Warsak, was taken from a shop by six masked gunmen yesterday.
"Lal is currently unable to speak to anybody but he arrived back home in safety," his uncle added.
A local official confirmed the release. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.