MULTAN, Nov 23: Acting PML-N president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said on Friday politicians were not playing their due role in the current crisis.

“But he salutes the judges, lawyers and journalists for their struggle for a cause,” he said at a press conference arranged at his residence.

After the imposition of emergency, he said, Shahbaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto should have put up themselves for arrest. He said the PML-N would decide whether or not to participate in elections only after the All Parties Democratic Movement. Nawaz Sharif had made it clear to the Saudi rulers that he would not take part in any dialogue with President Pervez Mushrraf, he claimed.

When there was a need to accelerate the movement against the dictatorship, political parties were busy in preparing themselves for the election, he said while criticising those willing to be part of the polls.

These parties should start their struggle for the restoration of constitution, withdrawal of emergency, removal of curbs on media, reinstatement of deposed judges and release of lawyers, including Aitzaz Ahsan, Muneer A. Malik, Justice Tariq Mahmood (retired) and Ali Ahmad Kurd.

Hashmi expressed fear that the country could face civil war if democracy was not restored.