ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday reinstated Zaka Ashraf to the post of chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), DawnNews reported.

A two-member bench of the IHC comprising Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan and Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi reinstated Ashraf following its hearings of an intra-court appeal filed by the ministry of inter-provincial coordination against the court's earlier ruling which had declared Ashraf's appointment as PCB chairman illegal.

The court had reserved its ruling over the appeal last month.

In May last year, the IHC had restrained Ashraf from performing his duties as PCB chairman after Major (retd) Nadeem Sadal, a former coach of the army cricket team, challenged his election to the post.

Then in July the same year, a three-member bench of the IHC headed by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui had declared Ashraf's appointment to the post as illegal.

The PCB and the ministry for inter-provincial coordination had also filed an appeal against the IHC's judgment.

Moreover, following the court's orders, in order to manage the running affairs of the country's cricket governing body, the government had appointed Najam Sethi as acting chairman of the PCB. Sethi was also instructed by the court to elect a permanent chairman for the PCB within 90 days with the support of an Interim Management Committee (IMC).

Upon failure to hold the polls, Sethi was also removed from his post but reinstated the same day. At the time of reinstatement, the court had also clipped the IMC and Sethi's powers to perform any crucial functions.