[2][3] In later years he served as chairman of the Pakistan Mazdoor Mahaz ('Pakistan Workers Front') and chief editor of the Urdu monthly Awami Manshoor.
[6] Abbas was recruited to the Communist Party of Pakistan in the early 1950s by Ahmed Aziz (who was later accused of having worked as a government infiltrator).
[5] Apart from his base in the PIA union, Abbas also counted on support within the National Students Federation and some labour groups in the city.
[13] Abbas' support base amongst students and workers played an important role in building the PPP in Karachi at its earliest phase.
[13] In the context of the Bangladesh Liberation War, Abbas' faction opposed military action in East Pakistan at some points whilst maintaining a critical view of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Awami League.
[12] Details of Tufail Abbas's alliance with Bhutto and his political career is given in the Urdu book named "Under Ground" by Ashraf Shad.