THE Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) voiced “disappointment and shock” yesterday after a court acquitted five men on Thursday who had confessed to involvement in the murder of its former leader and prime minister, Benazir Bhutto.

Two former police officers were jailed for 17 years for “failing to protect” Pakistan’s first female PM, who was killed by a suicide bomber in 2007.

But five militants who had confessed to helping to plan the attack were acquitted for “lack of evidence.” It was not immediately clear why the judge had thrown out the confessions.

Bhutto, herself the daughter of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who was executed after being overthrown by the military, was killed while running against then president Pervez Musharraf, who has always denied involvement in the murder and blamed the Taliban, who also deny it.

Mr Musharraf now lives in exile and his property was ordered seized this week after he failed to appear in court.