ISLAMABAD: Former information minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said he had no ‘hard feelings’ and accepted the decision of the party.

“I am satisfied with the party decision and I will continue to work as a party worker,” he told Dawn.

Political observers were of the opinion that Mr Kaira appeared to have fallen victim to PPP’s inner politics.

Nazar Muhammad Gondal, who was also not included in the new team, said: “No one knew till a few hours before the oath-taking ceremony who was in and who was out.”

He said he had accepted the party’s decision. “At a function in the presidency on Thursday night, President Zardari said that those who were closest to him might not be inducted in the new cabinet.”

Some other PPP stalwarts who are not the part of the new cabinet include former education minister Sardar Aseff Ahmed Ali, former minister for privatisation Waqar Ahmed Khan, former minister for states and frontier region Najamudin Khan, former textile minister Rana Muhammad Farooq, former minister for science and technology Pir Aftab Jilani and Lal Muhammad Khan.