Islamabad, March 1: Pakistani police Saturday formally charged the top Taliban leader in the country for planning the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, a top official said.

The police filed preliminary charges in the court against Baitullah Mehsud, who has been named by the Pakistani government in the Dec 27 killing of Bhutto in a suicide and gun attack during a public rally. Four others were also charged.

"Police submitted preliminary charges in the Bhutto case before an anti-terrorism court, and the judge issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Mehsud and four other accused," said Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, chief investigator in the case.