Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif triumphed over his two top rivals Tuesday in Pakistan's political feud, suspending the chief justice in a move that prompted the president's surprise resignation.
President Farooq Ahmed Leghari - who quit rather than appoint a replacement for the chief justice, his ally - bitterly accused Sharif of trying to grab sole power and thwarting attempts to end the feud by negotiation.
"Why could not an understanding be reached?" Leghari demanded. "I maintain an understanding could have been reached.
"I took the oath to protect the constitution, and I leave this office to uphold it," Leghari said.
The shakeup came in a 2-week-old crisis that arose out of a fierce dispute between Sharif and Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah. The dispute had split the Supreme Court and Parliament and cast the army chief in the unlikely role of mediator.
With neither side in the feud showing signs of backing down, some had feared the army - which has ruled Pakistan for 25 of its 50 years - would step in to end the bickering by once again seizing power.
For the past two days, army chief of staff Gen. Jehangir Karamat had shuttled between the feuding leaders, trying to broker a solution. Karamat is believed to have argued against the dismissing of Parliament.
Earlier today, Shah issued a ruling to restore the power of the president to dissolve Parliament. Many had expected Leghari would then dismiss Sharif's 10-month-old government.
However, 10 of the 17 Supreme Court justices voted almost immediately to overturn Shah's ruling.
The prime minister then suspended the chief justice, an action the justices had recommended earlier on the grounds that Shah had wrongly been promoted to the job out of turn.
The prime minister asked that Ajmal Mian, the most senior judge on the Supreme Court, become acting chief justice.
Senate Chairman Wasim Sajjad will become acting president in keeping with Pakistan's constitution.