Nasiruddin Haqqani, son of the much-wanted insurgent leader Jalaluddin Haqqani, has been reportedly arrested by Pakistani authorities. This was reported by the U.S. media but no comment was forthcoming from Pakistani authorities.
According to these media reports, Nasiruddin — who uses the pseudonym Dr. Khan — was nabbed while travelling from Peshawar to North Waziristan where the Haqqani network has its stronghold. Nasiruddin, according to the Newsweek report, is said to be the network's main fund-raiser with access to deep pockets in West Asia.
The reports of the arrest come a week after the U. S. released its Afghanistan-Pakistan Annual Review in which Washington once again urged Islamabad to do more, particularly in North Waziristan where terrorists fleeing Afghanistan get a safe haven.
Pakistan has been maintaining that it will start operations against terrorists holed up in North Waziristan at a time of its choosing; maintaining that it already has troops on the ground in the tribal agency. Pakistan's contention is that its Army was stretched at the moment consolidating gains in erstwhile terrorist strongholds.
Also — pointing to frequent terrorist attacks across the country since Pakistan joined the Global War on Terror — strategic analysts fear a blow-back effect on the country if the Haqqani network is touched without proper preparation and planning.
