LAHORE, March 22: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan has said his party will sit on opposition benches if it fails to get a ‘clear majority’ in the next polls.

Talking to reporters while opening central media cell of the PTI here on Thursday, he claimed the party would clean sweep the general elections as the nation was fed up with the People’s Party and the Muslim League-Nawaz, and wanted change.

He, however, said in case the masses did not give the party a clear mandate, it would prefer to play the role of an active opposition instead of joining hands with any pro-status-quo parties to form government.

He said President Asif Zardari did not succeed in keeping the opposition divided rather he managed to ‘buy loyalties’ of (opposition) politicians. Khan said what type of success it was as the masses were dying of price-hike while a few politicians weremaking hay.

He said JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was apparently on the opposition benches but in fact he was enjoying perks from the government. Similarly, he said, the PML-N had struck a deal with the PPP, eying next turn in power.

Earlier, speaking at a press conference at his residence, Imran Khan said his party would protest if the government restored Nato supplies. He, however, hastened to clarify that the protest would be against restoration of Nato supplies and not against the US.

He reiterated the country would have to abandon war on terror which was not ‘our war’ as despite incurring Rs4,000 billion expenses the nation was not aware of its objectives.

He claimed that recently the MPs were given Rs50 million each as ‘development grants’ only to seek their support for restoring Nato supplies.

Referring to the recent hike in power tariff, the PTI chief regretted that the increase in electricity rate was unheard of in any country. With this hike, he said, the electricity tariff in Pakistan would become the highest in the world and would give rise to power theft.

He said the power utility had detected 400,000 power thieves but regretted that neither any thief nor an official was put behind the bars although such massive pilferage was impossible without official patronage.

Imran Khan alleged Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was just protecting the corrupt and their corruption instead of doing something for the welfare of the masses.

On the occasion, former PML-N MNA Rao Qaiser and former Sialkot district nazim Akram Cheema and his younger brother and former Punjab minister Ajmal Cheema announced joining the PTI.