Irfan Qadir

In Shehbaz Sharif's ministry Irfan, was appointed to the position of Special Assistant to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for accountability & interior with the status of Federal Minister on 30 September 2022. According to a notification, Irfan's status will be equivalent to that of a federal minister.

On July 26, 2022, the Punjab Chief Minister's election case was decided by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which deemed Dost Mazari's decision as the deputy speaker of the provincial assembly to be illegal. Pervez Elahi, the PML-Q, leader's was also named the new chief minister of the province by the court. The three-judge panel, which was led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and also included Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Muneeb Akhtar, issued the ruling after a three-hour delay and instructed Governor Punjab to swear in Elahi at 11:30 p.m. tonight.

The Mazari's decision, which allowed Hamza Shahbaz to continue serving as the province's chief minister, was challenged by the PML-Q in a petition that was submitted on Saturday 23 July 2022 through the PML-Q attorney Amir Saeed Rawn and the Irfan Qadir was the attorney from the deputy speaker Dost Mazari.

On , Saturday 23 July 2022 Pervaiz Elahi submitted a plea to the Supreme Court Lahore registry contesting the re-election of Hamza Shehbaz as the province's chief minister. He urged the court to reverse the deputy speaker's ruling about the CM election vote count in his appeal. He asserted that because of his illegal and unconstitutional order, the deputy speaker did not count the votes cast by the PML-Q. He maintained that the decision went against the Supreme Court's directive.

A three-judge Supreme Court bench, presided over by Chief Justice Bandial and including Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Munib Akhtar, heard the case in the court's Lahore registry. The Supreme Court decided to name Hamza Shehbaz as Punjab's interim chief minister until Monday 25 July 2022, when the court will reassemble to consider the case. Hamza was forbidden by the Supreme Court from using his CM authority for political gain. According to the CJP, the deputy speaker's decision was clearly in violation of the Article 63-A ruling.

The Supreme Court had denied the coalition government's request to create a full court bench on issues relating to the Punjab chief minister election held on 22 July 2022 after receiving a full court appeal from PDM. A full court bench is constituted in serious matters, the CJP stated. According to Chief Justice Bandial, the main issue before the bench was whether or not a party leader could give orders to his parliamentary party members.

Following a series of incidents, The Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled on the election of the Punjab Chief Minister on July 26, 2022, and in its ruling, the court found Dost Mazari's choice to serve as deputy speaker of the provincial legislature to be unlawful. The court also appointed PML-Q leader Pervez Elahi as the new chief minister of the province. After a three-hour delay, the three-judge panel, which was presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and composed of Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Muneeb Akhtar, handed down its decision and ordered Governor Punjab to appoint Elahi at 11:30 p.m. tonight.

In February 2019 Irfan's practicing license was reinstated by the Supreme Court after a nearly four-year absence. While hearing the case, a three-judge Supreme Court panel led by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa ordered that the former attorney general's practicing license should be reinstated. Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi's petition for the Chief Justice of Pakistan to hear the former AG's contempt of court case was granted.

In March 2015 a three-judge panel of the supreme court of Pakistan suspended his license to practice law due to his conduct and appearance as counsel for the Sindh Government in a case involving the purchase of armored personnel carriers worth Rs1.23 billion by the Sindh Police from a Serbian company.

Irfan previously served as Secretary of Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in 2012, twice as Additional Advocate General of Punjab from 1990 to 1995 and 1996 to 1997, and as Prosecutor General of the province Punjab in 2010.

Irfan, who is well known for his aggressive demeanour toward the judiciary, was indignantly named Pakistan's attorney general by the Gillani administration in April 2012. Irfan was chosen as AGP by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani following consultation with Federal Law Minister Farooq H. Naek.

He was appointed legal affairs consultant to Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari in March 2012.

Irfan Qadir was appointed Prosecutor General of National Accountability Bureau by President Asif Ali Zardari in 2010 but Supreme Court ruled that NAB, Irfan Qadir's appointments as prosecutor general were unlawful.

Prosecutor General of the National Accountability Bureau, Qadir submitted his resignation to President Asif Ali Zardari on September 8, 2010, after contesting the Supreme Court's directives for his dismissal but he did not withdraw his appeal filed before the apex court challenging its order which had declared his appointment as illegal, on instructions of the president.

He was also appointed as the Pakistan Cricket Board's Appellate Authority in 2010.

President Asif Ali Zardari nominated 16 additional judges to the Lahore High Court (LHC) in February 2009, bringing the total number of justices on the high court up to 52 and Irfan Qadir was one of them.

Irfan didn’t qualify to be appointed as judge of the Supreme Court, after he had left as high court judge for being a Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) justice due to the apex court ruling of July 31, 2009. Before his retirement, President Asif Ali Zardari had nominated 26 judges of the Lahore High Court in consultation with Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar.

In addition, he has experience representing Pakistan internationally, having participated in numerous seminars and workshops at significant conferences in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. From 2006 through 2012, he continued to be a part of the International Corruption Hunters Network. Additionally, he is a fellow of the Eva Joly Institute for Justice and Democracy in Iceland. He is one of the original members of the 2006 Beijing-founded International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities.

Having represented Pakistan in numerous seminars and workshops in significant forums in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, Irfan has had significant exposure abroad. From 2006 through 2012, he continued to be a part of the International Corruption Hunters Network. Additionally, he is a fellow of the Eva Joly Institute for Justice and Democracy in Iceland. He is a founding member of the Beijing-based International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities, which was founded in 2006.

He had also worked for the NAB's Prosecutor General Accountability between 2003 and 2006. The only Prosecutor General in the Pakistan to have served the full three years in this position is he.

he was also appointed 1996 to 1997 for second consecutive term

In 1988, he was an Assistant Advocate General Punjab, and in 1990 to 1995, he was promoted to the more senior position of Additional Advocate General Punjab.

Irfan Qadir began his legal career in 1982 and enrolled as a High Court Advocate in 1985. Since then, he has built up a substantial body of experience in all key areas of law by handling numerous significant cases in both the Supreme Court and the High Court and providing numerous reported judgments.

Irfan Qadir (Urdu: عرفان قادر; born 16 November 1956) is a Pakistani lawyer, jurist and the current Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Legal Reforms since 15 December 2022. He previously served as the 29th Attorney-General for Pakistan from April 2012 to June 2013. He also served as a judge of Lahore High Court in 2009.