He has served as advisor on investment to the
Chief Minister of Punjab. On 18 April 2022, Ilyas was elected as the 14th
Prime Minister of
Azad Jammu and Kashmir, succeeding
Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi, who resigned after the PTI initiated a vote of no confidence against the latter. On 11 April 2023, Ilyas was disqualified from being a member of the legislative assembly when he was found guilty of
contempt of court by the
High Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Thus, he ceased to hold the office of the AJK prime minister. He was one of the founding members of the
Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) when it was launched on 8 June 2023, and was appointed as the president of its AJK chapter on 13 August 2023. He quit the IPP on 9 March 2025. He joined the PPP on 24 June 2025. ==References==