Pakistan police officers to be arrested over death of Benazir Bhutto

Source Guardian (UK)

A Pakistani court has ordered the arrest of two senior police officers in connection with Benazir Bhutto's assassination, reviving hopes for a breakthrough in Pakistan's most pressing political mystery. An anti-terrorism court ordered the arrest of Rawalpindi's former police chief, Saud Aziz, and his deputy Khurram Shahzad, who ordered the crime scene to be washed down less than two hours after the killing, destroying critical evidence. "They were responsible for Bhutto's security," said special investigator Chaudhry Zulfiqar. "They ordered the crime scene to be hosed down despite resistance from other officials." A strongly-worded UN report into Bhutto's death last April said the decision to wash the crime scene did "irreparable damage" to the subsequent investigation. Investigators speculated that Aziz had been influenced by powerful military intelligence agencies. Aziz and Khurram, who are now retired from the police, could not be contacted today. They are due to be formally charged on 11 December along with five men already in custody.