ISLAMABAD  - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday allowed Najam Sethi to continue as interim chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and directed him to hold fresh elections in 90 days time for the new chairman PCB.IHC judge Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui further directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to provide technical assistance to the PCB in conducting free and fair elections. During the hearing of the case, Justice Siddiqui observed that the court had confidence in Sethi that he was capable of holding free and fair elections like he did in the general elections as caretaker chief minister Punjab.The court directed the acting chairman of the PCB to scrutinise the electoral college that has a mandate to elect the PCB chairman. It is further directed by the court to hold elections as per guidelines of International Cricket Council (ICC).After issuance of the said orders, the previous elections that had elected Ch Zaka Ashraf as PCB chief had become infructuous and the court order has paved the way for the new elections for the PCB chief.It is pertinent to mention here that there were two cases pending before the IHC bench. In one case that was filed by Maj (R) Ahmad Nadeem Suddle challenging elections of Ch Zaka Ashraf as chairman PCB. The second petition was filed in the court by a petitioner Tahir Abdullah who challenged the appointment of Sethi as acting chairman PCB while saying that the acting chairman has no experience of cricket. The IHC bench Thursday heard both the cases.In the beginning of hearing, Justice Siddiqui asked Sethi that there should have been a person appointed as acting chairman PCB with knowledge of cricket. Then Justice Siddiqui quoted the name of legendry cricketer Majid Khan inquiring to Sethi that why such a person was not considered for appointment while your name was not included among the three candidates whose summary was forwarded by the Federal Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) to the Prime Minister. Sethi replied that the proposed names forwarded by the IPC to the Prime Minister have been having a force behind them. Many high level political persons had been pushing the Primer to select one out of three while Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif was aimed at de-polluting cricket from the politics.Sethi told the court that Prime Minister had assigned him with the task to save the cricket out of politics. The PM had also assigned him with the task to restart international cricket in Pakistan inviting foreign teams, he added. Then, Justice Siddiqui observed that the "recommendation culture" (Perchi & Sifarish) has devastated the cricket game. Justice Siddiqui further observed that the cricket must be saved becoming a rugby game.Sethi said that he had a great respect for the judiciary and he would accept any decision given by the court. "I hope that the way Prime Minister has posed confidence in me that court would also let me function as an acting chairman. I assure to the court that I would fulfil that tasks assigned to me by the Prime Minister," he stated before the court. Talking to the journalists outside the courtroom, Sethi said the court had posed confidence in him and he would try his level best to restore International cricket in Pakistan and to improve the standards as well.