Islamabad, Feb 12 (IANS) An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has issued a warrant for arrest of former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf in the assassination case of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, a media report said Saturday.

According to the Geo TV, the warrant was issued by the anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi.

The former military dictator was aware that the Taliban was plotting to kill Bhutto, but he did not pass on the information to the authorities concerned, said a team probing the 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) found that Musharraf knew that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud was plotting the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, but withheld that information from agencies concerned, the Dawn reported Thursday.

Sources said that JIT head Khalid Qureshi has briefed interior ministry officials about the challan submitted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Rawalpindi's anti-terrorism court (ATC) earlier this week.

The challan contained 12 charges against Musharraf.

Bhutto was assassinated Dec 27, 2007, as she was leaving Liaquat Bagh in a motorcade after addressing an election rally in Rawalpindi, the twin city of Islamabad capital. A teenaged shooter was seen aiming for her head in the CCTV footage before a powerful suicide blast killed at least 24 people participating in the rally.

Musharraf's name was added to the list following a statement of former Rawalpindi city police chief Saud Aziz.

Aziz claimed that Musharraf had given the order to change Benazir's security in-charge. He also claimed that the murder scene was immediately washed on Musharraf's orders.

Musharraf ruled Pakistan for nine years after taking power in a bloodless coup in 1999. He stepped down in 2008 and left Pakistan. He now lives in London.