KARACHI, Feb 20: An anti-terrorism court on Monday partly allowed two identical applications to alter charges in a case pertaining to the murder of a journalist.

Faisal Mahmood alias Nafsiati, Syed Mohammad Ali Rizvi, Shahrukh alias Mani, Naveed alias Polka and Shakil alias Malik have been charged with killing Wali Khan Babar, a reporter of Geo News, on Jan 13, 2011 within the remit of the Supermarket police station.

The public prosecutor and the counsel for the complainant, a brother of the slain journalist, submitted separate applications under Section 227 (court may alter charge) of the criminal procedure code and argued that the ATC-II had indicted the accused in October 2011.

However, they contended that the charge was defective and recommended a number of adjustments in it.

Judge Ghulam Mustafa Memon of the ATC-III allowed a few changes after hearing the defence counsel.

The court would amend the charges and indict the suspects on Feb 27.

A case (FIR 8/2011) was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code. Later, Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 was also incorporated in the FIR.

The suspects were arrested during a search of vehicles in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on April 7, 2011.