Sattar began his political career in 1987 as the Mayor of Karachi. In 1993, he served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Provincial Assembly of Sindh and had been a member of the provincial and federal cabinet, in various positions, since 1997. He served as the provincial Minister in Sindh government from 1997 to 1999 and as the Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis from 2008 to 2013.