[4][5] Shah's tenure as the head of Intelligence Bureau was controversial with accusations of political victimisation and for undermining the judiciary.

[7] General Ziauddin Butt, former Director General of the ISI allegedly revealed in October 2011 that according to his knowledge Ijaz Shah, had kept Osama bin Laden in an Intelligence Bureau of Pakistan safe house in Abbottabad[8] but later denied making any such statement, after Shah announced filing a defamation suit against him.

[11] He ran for the seat of the National Assembly of Pakistan from NA-118 (Nankana Sahib-II) as an independent candidate in 2013 Pakistani general election, but was unsuccessful.

[13] On 18 April 2019, in a cabinet reshuffle, he was sworn in as Federal Interior Minister of Pakistan, the post previously held by Shehryar Khan Afridi.

Later, by-elections were held again on his seat, Imran Khan made a surprising move to stand on his own in all the by-seats.