A court freed Qari Saifullah Akhtar, accused by the former premier of plotting against her in a book published after her assassination in December, was released because of a lack of evidence.

'The court granted bail to Qari Saifullah after the police failed to produce evidence against him,' police investigator Nawaz Ranjha told reporters.

The court ordered police to produce evidence as soon as possible, he said.

A court official said police had suggested releasing Akhtar with the intention of re-arresting him later.

'The police in its report to the judge proposed that Akhtar be released on a personal bond at this point of time as the police have no enough evidence material to present a charge-sheet against him,' he said.

'The police said the suspect would again be arrested when adequate evidence material was gathered.'

Two-time premier Bhutto was unharmed in the attack on her procession in Karachi's Karsaz district, hours after she ended nearly 10 years of self-imposed exile on October 18.

She was killed two months later in a gun and suicide bomb attack during an election rally at Rawalpindi. -- AFP