FAISALABAD, July 1: The National Alliance would resist all moves of the government to allow former premiers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to contest general elections.

This was stated by the central leaders of the alliance while speaking at a workers’ convention at the Iqbal Park (Dhobi Ghat) here on Sunday night.

The convention started three hours late due to thin turnout of people. However, when the formal proceedings started, the crowd swelled to about 3,500 — with most of the people brought from Jaranwala, Samundri, Tandlianwala, Chiniot, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh and Gojra.

Alliance’s central leaders, former caretaker prime minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi and Sindh National Alliance’s head Mumtaz Bhutto did not turn up at the venue.

The alliance after its formation in the first week of May announced to hold workers convention in big cities to muster people’s support and inform them about its future plans for general elections. But the alliance faced a setback on June 27 when one of the main parties, the Pakistan Awami Tehrik, quit it.

However, the five remaining parties — Millat Party of ex-president Farooq Leghari, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi’s National People’s Party, Mumtaz Bhutto’s Sindh National Front, Arbab Rahim’s Sindh Democratic Alliance and ex-senator Amjal Khatak’s Awami Party — decided to continue their alliance.

A day before the convention, Mr Jatoi reportedly left for London without, according to sources, properly informing other leaders of the alliance.

Meanwhile, speakers at the convention claimed that a tentative list of candidates of national and provincial assemblies had already been prepared which would be made public after the announcement of election schedules. The alliance would bring revolutionary changes in the education, agriculture, and health sectors, they added.

Farooq Leghari said over 50 million people were living below poverty line due to ill conceived policies of the previous rulers and plundering of national wealth by them.

He alleged that Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif enhanced their foreign bank balances by receiving kickbacks from the contractors of mega developmental and power projects during their tenure. They launched massive vilification campaign against each other and arrested close relatives of their opponents. But they were conspiring again to capture the power, he added. He suggested the government to approach international agencies and big powers for the recovery of looted wealth which they had deposited in foreign banks.

NAPP chief and former senator Ajmal Khattak said the alliance would bring revolution in every sector after coming into power.

He said looted wealth would be recovered from the corrupt politicians, army generals, bureaucrats and all other without any fear or favour.

Mr Jatoi’s son, Mustafa Jatoi, claimed that the National Alliance would win maximum number of seats.

Arbab Rahim said the PPP and the PML(N) were making hectic efforts for coming into power so that they could again plunder the national wealth.

Alliance secretary general Muhammad Ali Durrani said no government agency or ‘faithful’ bureaucrats of former rulers would be allowed to rig the general elections.