Islamabad, Oct 16 (IANS): A Pakistani court has dismissed application of two senior police officials in former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination case, Xinhua reported.

Bhutto was killed in a suicide attack in Rawalpindi city in December 2007.

Former police chief, Saud Aziz, and his deputy Khurram Shahzad have been accused of not taking proper security measures for Bhutto's security.

The duo have also been accused of ordering the crime scene to be washed down less than two hours after the killing.

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) dismissed the acquittal pleas from the police officers, which means they would remain to be in the case until the court gives verdict. They are on bail.

ATC judge Shahid Rafique dismissed the acquittal plea, saying the two officials will be charged. Charges will be framed Oct 22.

A UN report on Bhutto's death published last year in April stated the decision to wash the crime scene did "irreparable damage" to the subsequent investigation.

The report also blamed Musharraf for failing to protect Bhutto, while accusing police and intelligence officials of hampering the investigation into her death.

The UN team said that Aziz stalled the investigation for two days after Bhutto's death, deliberately prevented a postmortem on her body, and gave the order to sanitise the crime scene just 100 minutes after Bhutto's death.

The court, with its latest dimissal, has kept the hopes alive for progress in one of the high profile assassinations in Pakistan's history.

Bhutto's assassination has so far remained a mystery, as no group has so far claimed responsibility. But then president Pervez Musharraf had blamed Pakistani Taliban for the killing.

Taliban has denied its involvement.