Pakistan police charged in Bhutto killing

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- A Pakistani court Wednesday ordered two former policemen held in the Benazir Bhutto assassination.

The Federal Investigation Agency presented charges against Saud Aziz and Khurram Shahzad, and they were denied bail in a proceeding at a Rawalpindi jail, Geo News reported.

The former prime minister was slain after addressing a rally Dec. 27, 2007.

"Both of the police officers have been arrested. The court rejected their application for bail and the judge said this was their duty to carry out the post-mortem," prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali told Dawn News.

The officers are accused of ordering the scene hosed down after the killing, thereby destroying vital evidence, and for failing to give Bhutto adequate security.

The judge rejected as evidence a tape in which Bhutto's husband Asif Ali Zardari, now president, reportedly asked for the post-mortem not to be carried out.

The court has been adjourned until Jan. 7.