[5] In 1990–1991, Iqbal was posted with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and was selected to serve as a naval adviser at the High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi.

He served as a commanding officer of the elite Special Services Group Navy until he was appointed as the director naval intelligence in 1992.

He was among the officers who investigated the rumors surrounding acontroversial arms deal signed with France as early as 1994 to 1995.

"[9] Iqbal was appointed as the DCNS (Personnel) at the Navy NHQ and was later posted as the director of the Joint Training (DG Trig.)

[3] In 2011, he criticised the Pakistan military's failure to realize the nature of the compound in Abbottabad where the United States eventually conducted an operation to find Osama bin Laden.

[12] While serving as Vice-Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), he resigned from his position and left the party in an effort to oppose Khurshid Kasuri's support for Pervez Musharraf.

[13] He is currently residing in Lahore, and has raised his concerns about the trials of Pervez Musharraf for illegally taking over the civilian government in 1999.