LAHORE, May 23: The Lahore High Court admitted on Thursday a writ petition challenging the April 30 referendum and issued notice to the attorney-general for an unspecified date.

“A date will be fixed by office,” Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa said when petitioner-lawyer A. K. Dogar pressed for early commencement of regular hearing. He would also decide on the next date whether to hear the petition himself or refer it to the chief justice for consideration by a larger bench.

The petition challenges the referendum as ‘fraudulent’ and questions the ability of the present set-up to hold a fair general election. President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Chief Election Commissioner Irshad Hasan Khan have been cited as respondents, besides the Federation.

In reply to Wednesday’s query of the court, Mr Dogar earlier said while a judge might not take into consideration matters in his personal or private knowledge, he could take notice of generally known ‘public facts’ and might also rely on them.

About the bar on jurisdiction contained in the Referendum Order, the judge agreed with the lawyer that he had no other remedy. — Staff Reporter