RAWALPINDI, Aug 20: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday decided to frame charges against the seven accused in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case on the next hearing on August 27.

During in-camera trial at Adiala Jail, An Anti-Terrorism Court-III Judge Shahid Rafique ordered to distribute the copies of charges among the defence lawyers.

The court will frame charges against two police officers – Saud Aziz, former city police officer Rawalpindi, and Khurram Shahzad, for SP Rawal Town – along with five other accused, Abdul Rashid, Hasnain Gul, Rafaqat Hussain, Sher Zaman and Aitzaz Shah.

Ms Bhutto was assassinated on December 27, 2007 as she was leaving Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi after addressing an election rally.

The court had already issued permanent warrants of Pervez Musharraf, former president, for deliberately avoiding the hearing.

The court had also ordered Federal Investigation Agency and district administration to provide details of the former military ruler’s moveable and immoveable property.

During the hearing, the judge also ordered Chaudhry Zulfiqar, prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), to write letters to General Headquarter (GHQ) and Defense Housing Authority (DHA) as a reminder to collect details about moveable and immoveable property of Musharraf.

The two police officers appeared before the court but the five other accused could not be presented because of security reasons.