MIANWALI, Nov 22: PML-N acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi was among 20 politicians and lawyers who were released from the central jail here late on Wednesday night.

The others who were released on the orders of the Punjab government were: former PPP MNA Shahadat Khan Baloch, PML-N joint secretary Malik Anwar Ali, PML-N Multan vice-president Imtiaz Chattan and 16 lawyers belonging to Multan, Lahore and Narowal.

A large number of local lawyers, journalists and political workers received them on the main gate of the jail.

It is learnt that jail authorities received the release orders of Javed Hashmi at 8pm on Wednesday, but he refused to leave the jail till the release of all political activists and lawyers.

DIG (Prisons) Faisalabad region Nadeem Kaukab Warraich and DIG (Prisons) Multan region Farooq Nazir forced Mr Hashmi to comply with the official orders.

Addressing the lawyers at the bar office on Thursday, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said that contesting of elections by any politician would tantamount to justify all illegal acts of the dictator.

He said the PML-N would not take part in the elections in the presence of the Provisional Constitution Order.

Mr Hashmi urged all political and religious parties to shun their differences and join their hands against the dictator.