Pakistan arrests another leading al-Qa'ida suspect

Pakistan's security forces were celebrating the capture of a second leading member of al-Qa'ida last night, two weeks to the day after the arrest of a top figure in the terror network, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.

Yasir al-Jaziri, a Moroccan, was arrested in the smart Gulberg district of Lahore, the government said. His seniority was not immediately clear: the Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, said he was among the top seven men wanted by the US, but his name does not appear on the FBI most-wanted terrorist list. Another official said he was "definitely an important al-Qa'ida leader".

An intelligence source said two "white men" – possibly American agents – took part in the operation, which also netted an Afghan called Gulzeb, alias Jaffar, a laptop computer and some CD-Roms.

Despite the latest success, Pakistan faces the risk of an Islamist backlash that could undermine the hunt for Osama bin Laden after the White House's latest attempt to win Islamabad's vote for a UN resolution mandating war on Iraq. The Bush administration's decision to waive sanctions worth £155m has deepened concerns that General Pervez Musharraf will succumb to American pressure, despite overwhelming opposition to war.

The sanctions were imposed by the US after General Musharraf illegally seized power in a 1999 military coup. He proceeded to shore up his position by amending the constitution before holding parliamentary elections last year that EU observers condemned as badly flawed.

Pakistan's secular intelligentsia has been warning that a US-led assault on Iraq – and a Pakistani "yes" vote enabling it – will play directly into the hands of the powerful anti-Western mullahs who are vociferously opposing the Musharraf government.

The chief focus of their concerns is the MMA, the hardline religious bloc that controls two of the country's four provinces which are key territory in the intensified hunt for Bin Laden.

The MMA has moved swiftly to become the country's main anti-war voice, gaining strength by organising mass peace marches. According to Shafqat Mahmood, a former minister, the MMA is beginning a "serious challenge" to the government, which could be strengthened by an American attack on Iraq.