President Zardari accepts the resignations of Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah.

ISLAMABAD — President Asif Ali Zardari has accepted the resignations of Supreme Court Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah, who stood down the day before.

The Presidency stated that the resignation letters addressed directly to the President have now been properly authorized.

The two senior judges resigned on Thursday over the 27th Amendment. According to sources, both judges sent letters to the president immediately after their judgment was made. The Presidency released a statement stating that President Zardari has accepted the departures in accordance with constitutional procedures.

Before submitting their letters, Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah attended farewell discussions with their colleagues in their chambers. These discussions took held late in the evening, and colleagues persuaded them not to resign and worked hard to persuade them to the very last. Despite numerous requests, both judges held strong to their judgment.

Following their talks with other members of the court, the judges submitted their resignations and left the Supreme Court headquarters. Their departure signals a significant move in the continuing discussion over the 27th Amendment, with the judiciary now awaiting further action on the nominations to the vacated posts.