[2] A member of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Tahir briefly served as Governor of Gilgit–Baltistan in 2015.

After the overthrow of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) government in 1999 in a coup de'tat by Pervez Musharraf, he was arrested.

[6] He had ceased to hold ministerial office in July 2017 when the federal cabinet was disbanded following the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after Panama Papers case decision.

[10][11] Upon the dissolution of the National Assembly on the expiration of its term on 31 May 2018, Tahir ceased to hold the office as Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan.

[12] He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of PML-N from Constituency NA-117 (Nankana Sahib-I) in 2018 Pakistani general election.