ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: Here is the AFP’s translation of the transcript of the alleged telephone conversation on Friday from senior Al Qaeda leader Baitullah Mehsud to another militant that the Pakistan interior ministry said had been intercepted after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
The ministry said it had been translated from Pashto to Urdu. This is our translation from the ministry’s Urdu to English.
Maulvi Sahib (MS): Assalaam Aleikum.
Baitullah Mehsud (BM): Waleikum Assalaam.
MS: Chief, how are you?
BM: I am fine.
MS: Congratulations, I just got back during the night.
BM: Congratulations to you, were they our men?
MS: Yes they were ours.
BM: Who were they?
MS: There was Saeed, there was Bilal from Badar and Ikramullah.
BM: The three of them did it?
MS: Ikramullah and Bilal did it.
BM: Then congratulations.
MS: Where are you? I want to meet you.
BM: I am at Makeen (town in South Waziristan tribal region), come over, I am at Anwar Shah’s house.
MS: OK, I’ll come.
BM: Don’t inform their house for the time being.
MS: OK.
BM: It was a tremendous effort. They were really brave boys who killed her.
MS: Mashallah. When I come I will give you all the details.
BM: I will wait for you. Congratulations, once again congratulations.
MS: Congratulations to you.
BM: Anything I can do for you?
MS: Thank you very much.
BM: Assalaam Aleikum.
MS: Waaleikum Assalaam.
—AFP
