The Islamabad High Court has barred police taking action against former federal minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain till May 9 in an FIR registered against PTI leaders over the Masjid-e-Nabwi incident.

Justice Minallah issued the order in a petition filed by Chaudhry against nomination of the PTI leaders, including party chief Imran Khan, in multiple cases registered against them across the country related to blasphemy.

The petition challenged “illegal and unlawful harassment and abuse of authority by the respondents”.

The petitioner pleaded that the respondents be barred to illegally harass Chaudhry and other PTI members and requested that all cases registered against the party members should be brought on the record. The party members should be informed about the reasons which led to the registration of the FIRs against them, it added.

Actions of the FIA and police related to the cases against PTI members would be declared null and void, read the petition.

The chief justice issued the orders to the police under the jurisdiction of the high court.

The court also issued notices to the respondents in the petition and ordered the interior secretary to ensure that Chaudhry would not be harassed and no action would be taken against him till the next hearing.

In a separate petition submitted in the high court, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah granted protective bail to ex-SAPM Shahbaz Gill who is in the US and will return to Pakistan on May 4.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case till Monday (May 9).

Earlier on Monday, former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed’s nephew, MNA Rashid Shafique, had been handed over to Attock police on two-day physical remand, over his apparent involvement in the incident.