RAWALPINDI, Jan 23: An anti-terrorism court here on Wednesday remanded two men arrested in connection with the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in the custody of a joint investigation team for ten days.

Superintendent of police Waqar Ahmed Chohan, a member of the investigation team, requested the judge Sakhi Mohammad Kahot for the physical remand of the 18-year-old Aitzaz Shah, of Mansehra, and Sher Zaman, a resident of Dera Ismail Khan.

The investigators stated that they wanted to recover different explosive materials, extract further information and take the accused to far-off areas in search of their other accomplices.

The two men are charged with murder, attempted murder, terrorism, having and using banned explosive materials, causing mischief by fire and explosives to damage property and criminal conspiracy.

According to reports, the accused were arrested by the Dera Ismail Khan police in the second week of January when they were entering the city in a car.

Police claimed that during the preliminary investigation Aitzaz had revealed that he knew the group that planned and executed the December 27 attack on Ms Bhutto. According to the police, Aitzaz claimed that he was next in line to kill the PPP leader had the Rawalpindi attack failed.

Police brought the accused to the court in a tight security. The armoured personnel carrier (APC) carrying the two accused was surrounded by elite commandos and the area around the court was cordoned off.