By IRNA
Islamabad : Pakistani police on Saturday formally charged chief of the Taliban movement of planning the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Police filed preliminary charges in court against Baitullah Mehsud, who has been named by the Pakistani government in the Dec 27 killing of Bhutto in a suicide and gun-attack during a public rally.
Four others were also charged.
“Police submitted preliminary charges in the Bhutto case before an anti-terrorism court, and the judge issued non-bailable warrants of arrest against Baitullah Mehsud and four other accused,” Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, chief Pakistani investigator said.
A spokesman for Baitullah Mehsood denied any involvement and had blamed the government for masterminding Bhutto’s assassination.
Police said that the preliminary charges are based on confessional statements from the accused before the magistrate.
The statement has declared Mehsood as absconder and several other suspects.
Two suspects Husnain Gul and Rafaqat were produced in the anti-terrorism court chaired by judge Chaudhry Habib-ur-Rehman under tight security.
The police also got five-day physical custody of the accused in connection with a case of suicide attack near the residence of Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Lt Gen Tariq Majeed.
The court also ordered that two other suspects in Bhutto’s murder case Aitzaz Shah and Sher Zaman should be sent to jail and adjourned the hearing till March 6.
People’s Party insists that U.N should hold inquiry into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto but President Pervez Musharraf has rejected the demand.
A team of British Scotland Yard detectives investigated the incident.
Asif Ali Zardari, widower of Benazir Bhutto, has said that his party’s next government will take first decision to seek UN inquiry.