Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday assured Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani that his party will continue to support the Pakistan People's Party-led ruling coalition despite withdrawing its ministers from the cabinet.
Sharif gave the assurance during a telephonic conversation with Gilani, who spoke to the PML-N chief after meeting the ministers who submitted their resignations.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister's House said: "Nawaz Sharif assured the prime minister of his party's continued support and cooperation to the government for the strengthening of democratic institutions in the country."
Sharif said 'the decision of resignation from the cabinet was painful for him', the statement added.
The PML-N pulled out of the ruling coalition on Monday after the expiry of a second deadline for reinstating judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf during last year's emergency rule.
Sharif has said his party will continue to give issue-based support to the PPP-led government.
The nine PML-N ministers submitted their resignations to the prime minister on Tuesday afternoon but Gilani 'politely refused' to accept them, said a separate statement from the prime minister's house.
Gilani told the delegation of PML-N ministers led by senior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan that a decision on whether to accept the resignations will be made after PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari returns to Pakistan from a foreign trip.
Pak coalition splits over judiciary row