A court has partially rejected the investigation officer’s report in the Nazim Jokhio’s murder case on Monday.

“The investigation officer is not empowered to acquit an accused,” a Malir court said in its written order over the report of the IO in the high-profile murder case.

“The court is empowered to accept or reject the investigation officer’s section 173 report,” the order read. “It is up to the court to decide on the acquittal of accused in the light of case evidence.”

The court removed the names of six accused, including Jam Abdul Kareem MNA, from the case. “These six accused were not named in the murder FIR,” the court said.

The court acquitted Ahmed and Abdul Razzaq.

“All evidence proves that the crime has been committed, Jam Awais has to face the case,” the court ordered while rejecting the investigation officer’s report with regard to removing the name of Jam Awais from the case.

“The role of accused Doda Khan, Niaz Salar, Mohammad Mairaj, Mohammad Saleem, Mohammad Zahid and Mohammad Soomar also proved in the crime,” said the court order.

“The accused have to face charges in the case against them,” the court said.

The investigation officer had recommended excluding the names of 13 accused, including Jam Abdul Karim and Jam Awais, in his report. In October last year, the family of Nazim Jokhio said that PPP MPA Jam Awais Gohram Jokhio and his men had allegedly tortured Nazim Jokhio to death as he tried to stop his foreign guests from hunting houbara bustards in Memon Goth, Karachi.

Police registered a murder case against PPP MPA Awais, his brother MNA Jam Kareem and others. They detained Awais but Jam Kareem left the country and flew to Dubai, only to return later to cast his vote in the no-trust motion against Imran Khan.