Nasiruddin Haqqani, whose jihadist codename is Dr. Khan, was reportedly traveling by car with four fellow militants from the city of Peshawar to North Waziristan when he was picked up by Pakistani agents. One of the men traveling with him was a senior Haqqani commander named Mullah Muhammad Jan.

Pakistan has come under increasing pressure by the U.S. to move more forcefully against jihadist groups, in particular the violent Haqqani network, which has operated with impunity in North Waziristan, attacking U.S. troops across the border in Afghanistan. Last week, Admiral Mike Mullen, the U.S. top military officer, made an unscheduled stop in Islamabad, delivering a message of “strategic impatience” to the government there.

The arrest of the younger Haqqani is significant. Nasiruddin Haqqani, who has relatives in the Arab Gulf region, is reportedly the Haqqani network’s key fundraiser and financial operative in the Middle East. (It is believed that Nasiruddin’s mother hails from the United Arab Emirates.)