LAHORE, June 22: Though PML-Q stalwart Faisal Saleh Hayat voted for Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Friday in an anticipation of retaining the portfolio of housing, the newly-elected prime minister has not given any assurance either to him or his party (the PML-Q) in this regard.

A senior PPP leader told Dawn that Mr Hayat had given the vote to Mr Ashraf in an understanding that he would get back his ministry as some `business is still pending there`.

`Mr Hayat had sought a guarantee from his leadership before he cast his vote for Mr Ashraf. But the new prime minister had shared his views with his friends that no matter what happened he would not take Mr Hayat in his cabinet,` the PPP leader said. Both leaders had become `sworn enemy` when Mr Hayat challenged Mr Ashraf on the rental power contracts in the Supreme Court. The court subsequently scrappedthe RPPs contracts declaring them`nontransparent`.

`Now pressure will be on Chaudhrys of Gujrat to press President Asif Ali Zardari to take Hayat back in the cabinet with the ministry of his choice. Mr Ashraf cannot say no to the president.

Interestingly, Mr Hayat is no more in the good books of the Chaudhrys for his arrogant attitude with the party men,` a source in the PML-Q said.

He said a majority in the PML-Q was expecting that Mr Hayat would not even vote for Mr Asharaf what to talk about being part of his cabinet. There must be some genuine reason for his change of mind. `It is learnt that Hayat`s friends in the housing ministry told him that a lot of `official business` is pending and he cannot afford to lose the ministry at this stage,` he said.

Some PPP legislators had told their leadership several months ago that theXENs of the housing ministry demanded commission even from them for approval of a project. Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had reportedly conveyed complaints against Hayat`s ministry to the PML-Q leadership.

Mr Hayat told Dawn that being a parliamentary leader of his party he was supposed to take his parliamentarians along with him. `Yes, personally, I was reluctant to vote for Mr Ashraf but my party leadership forced me,` he said.

To a question about joining the Ashraf`s cabinet, he said: `It will be the decision of my party leadership as I am not keen in becoming a minister again.

There is no big charm in the ministry.

He further made it clear that it was the PML-Q not Mr Ashraf or the PPP that would decide about his inclusion in the cabinet. `We are independent in our decisions and other parties cannot impose anything on us,` he said.