Supreme Court Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah resigned on Thursday. They sent their resignation letters to President Asif Ali Zardari. Their move marks a turning point in Pakistan’s ongoing judicial overhaul.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah issued a 13-page resignation. He said the 27th Constitutional Amendment dealt a “severe blow” to the Supreme Court. He called it an “attack on the Constitution.” He wrote that the amendment pushed justice farther from the common citizen. He warned that the judiciary had become subordinate to the government. He included verses from poet Ahmed Faraz to express his disappointment.

Justice Shah wrote that dividing the apex court harms judicial independence. He said such disruptions leave deep scars, even when reversed.

Justice Athar Minallah also delivered a strong resignation. He wrote that the Constitution he swore to protect “no longer exists in its original form.” He called the amendment a burial of the Constitution’s true foundations.

Justice Minallah recalled his 11-year judicial career. He said he remained committed only to the original Constitution, not an altered one. He noted that he had warned Chief Justice Yahya Afridi about the amendment’s dangers. He said those warnings had now proved accurate.

He wrote that judges’ robes represent trust, yet history often links them with silence. He ended his letter by hoping future generations see his decision as honesty, not disloyalty.

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Justice Athar Minallah delivered a forceful message in his resignation, declaring that the Constitution he vowed to defend “no longer exists in its original form.” He argued that the 27th Constitutional Amendment has fundamentally altered the very document he swore to uphold.

In his letter, he wrote that no matter how he tries to reassure himself, he cannot ignore the reality that “new foundations are being laid on the grave of the Constitution.” He described the amendment as a departure from the principles he committed to protect throughout his judicial career.

Justice Minallah reflected on his 11-year journey on the bench — from judge of the Islamabad High Court, to Chief Justice of the IHC, and eventually to the Supreme Court. He said his guiding commitment was always to the unaltered, original Constitution.

He noted that he had earlier voiced serious reservations about the proposed amendment, even writing to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi to warn of its implications. He said today’s developments have affirmed those concerns.

He wrote that the robes worn by judges symbolize public trust, yet history shows that these robes have often become symbols of silence and compromise. Ending his letter with a bittersweet reflection, he expressed hope that future generations will see his departure not as betrayal but as an act of integrity. “With that hope,” he concluded, “I take off this robe forever.”

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for Justice Aminuddin Khan’s oath-taking as Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court at the Presidential Palace. Sources say the ceremony may take place tonight, with President Asif Ali Zardari administering the oath.