LAHORE, Aug 31 Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry of the Lahore High Court issued on Monday notices to Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Babar Awan, former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and 12 others for Sept 28 on an application seeking registration of an FIR against them for their alleged involvement in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

The petition filed by Ms Bhutto's former protocol officer Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam was fixed before Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa but he declined to hear it saying one of the respondents was his relative.

The chief justice then fixed the case before Justice Ijaz Chaudhry.

The petitioner moved the LHC after an additional district and sessions judge had dismissed his plea on the grounds that the federal government was already investigating the matter.

Counsel Mansoor Ahmed contended that the PPP leader's murder was the result of an international conspiracy in which Gen Musharraf and other respondents were also involved.

He pointed out that Mr Malik and Mr Awan had changed Ms Bhutto's route and both of them left the scene in a car which they were not allowed to use under the protocol plan. Only Farhatullah Babar was allowed to use that car.

He requested the court to order registration of an FIR against the respondents for the murder of the former prime minister. Other respondents include former Intelligence Bureau director-general Ejaz Shah, former chief minister Pervez Elahi, former caretaker interior minister Hamid Nawaz, interior secretary Kamal Shah and former spokesman of interior ministry Javed Iqbal Cheema.