February 03, 2008	Sunday	Muharram 24, 1429

RAWALPINDI, Feb 2: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) here on Saturday extended the physical remand of two suspects in PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s assassination plot for 10 days as the investigators requested more time to extract further information.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Waqar Ahmed Chohan, a member of the investigation team, asked ATC No. 1 Judge Habibur Rehman to extend by 12 days the detention of 18-year-old Aitzaz Shah and his accomplice, Sher Zaman.

However, the judge allowed 10 days of physical remand of the two men.

In his submission, the investigators stated that they wanted more time to extract further information from the accused about the attack on Benazir Bhutto and the other people involved in the assassination.

They said incriminating evidence and material was also to be collected from the two men.

Aitzaz and Sher Zaman are suspects in a case registered by the City police on December 27, 2007, and are facing the charges of murder, attempted murder, terrorism, having and using banned explosive materials, causing mischief by fire and explosives to damage property and criminal conspiracy.

On Saturday, they were brought to the court in an armoured personnel carrier (APC) surrounded by Elite Force commandos. Before their arrival, the area around the court was cleared and sniffer dogs were also used.

Media persons and cameramen were not allowed to have a glimpse of the accused.

According to reports, the two men were arrested by the

Dera Ismail Khan police in the second week of January when they entered the city riding a car.

Police had said that during preliminary investigation, Aitzaz revealed that he knew the group that planned and executed the December 27 attack on Benazir Bhutto outside Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi when she left the park after addressing a big election rally.

The attack killed Ms Bhutto along with 21 workers of PPP. He (Aitzaz) said he was next in line to kill the PPP leader had the first attack failed.