MUHAMMAD ISHAQ DAR vs SHAHID NABI MALIK and another

This matter concerns a petition for leave to appeal against an order of the High Court regarding the bye-election for National Assembly Constituency No. NA-95-Lahore-IV. The core legal question before the Supreme Court was whether the High Court's interim order restraining the announcement and notification of the election results pending the final decision of a writ petition was appropriate, or whether the election process should be allowed to reach its conclusion despite the pending litigation. Upon hearing the arguments from both parties, the Supreme Court converted the petition into an appeal and allowed it. The Court held that the High Court's direction prohibiting the announcement and notification of the election result should be substituted. Consequently, the Supreme Court directed that the election authorities must announce and notify the result of the bye-election, and the candidate declared successful shall be permitted to take their seat in the National Assembly. This permission is explicitly made subject to the final outcome of the writ petition pending before the High Court, thereby balancing the electoral process with judicial oversight.