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Islamabad: Pakistani police on Saturday formally accused the top Taliban leader in the country and four others of planning the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.
Police filed preliminary charges in court against Baitullah Mehsud, who has been named by the Pakistani government in the December 27 killing of Bhutto in a suicide and gun-attack during a public rally. Mehsud is underground and it is not clear if the police are close to catching him.
Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, the chief investigator in the case, said, "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."
Although Mehsud was named by President Pervez Musharraf within days of the assassination, the filing of the preliminary charges completes a legal formality.
It is the first legal step before an arrest can be made.
Mehsud is the commander of Tehrik-e-Taliban, an umbrella group of Islamic militant groups linked to Al Qaida.
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