In 1993, Justice Iqbal was elevated as additional judge at the Balochistan High Court and was confirmed as "justice" by the Governor of Balochistan Province in 1995. In 1999, he was one of the judges in the country who retook their oaths under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO), following the aftermath of the military coup d'état staged by Chairman joint chiefs General Pervez Musharraf. On immediate effect, he was appointed as the Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court on 4 February 2000; subsequently his promotion papers were approved by President Rafiq Tarar. However, this promotion was short-lived when Justice Iqbal was elevated as a "Senior Justice" of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 28 April 2000.