Tufail Abbas

Tufail Abbas (c. 1928 – 8 September 2019)^[1] was a Pakistani trade unionist and communist politician. He was a veteran labour leader in the airline industry, heading the Airways Employees Union.^[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.^[4]

Airline industry union leader

Abbas was a union leader at Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) during four decades.^[5][6] He had become an employee at Orient Airways in late 1948, and took part in the strike of March 1949.^[6] When PIA acquired Orient Airways, Abbas became a PIA employee.^[6] At the time PIA management and union leaders were in close contact, the PIA Managing-Director Malik Nur Khan sent Abbas to India to study labour practices at Air India.^[6] Abbas was jailed on different occasions due to his labour activism.^[6]

In the Communist Party

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).^[7] At the time Abbas was working in the airline industry.^[7] By the late 1950s Abbas held the post of secretary of the Karachi Committee of the Communist Party.^[7] The Karachi Committee was hierarchically placed under the Hyderabad-based Sindh Provincial Committee, but under Abbas' leadership the Karachi Committee became increasingly independent.^[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.^[5]

Sino-Soviet split

In 1966 the Sindh Provincial Committee was split in pro-Soviet and pro-China parties, a split taking place in the aftermath of the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war.^[8] Abbas emerged as the general secretary of the underground, pro-Beijing Communist Party.^[2] His group won the support of the majority in the National Students Federation.^[9] Abbas was invited to the October 1 celebrations in China in 1966.^[10]

After the 1966 split Abbas' faction began seeking to build an organization across West Pakistan.^[9] It also had some contacts in East Pakistan.^[9] Abbas' labour wing was known as the Quami Mazdoor Mahaz ('National Labour Front'), which emerged from the Markezi Mazdoor Committee in 1969.^[3][11] The Airways Employees Union was the strongest union inside the Quami Mazdoor Mahaz.^[3]

Alliance with Bhutto

Tacitly, the Abbas faction provided support to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.^[12] In the late 1960s, some members of the Abbas' faction joined Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party on the instruction of the party and began occupying positions in the PPP.^[13] Abbas' support base amongst students and workers played an important role in building the PPP in Karachi at its earliest phase.^[14] One of the key leaders of Abbas' faction that became a PPP leader was Meraj Muhammad Khan.^[14] Nevertheless, Abbas' group opted not to participate in the 1970 elections.^[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.

Sino-Albanian split

Abbas sided with Albania in the Sino-Albanian split.^[10]

Later years

Abbas' autobiography Subah ki lagan ('Yearning for Dawn') was published in 2010.^[4][6]

Abbas died in Karachi on September 8, 2019.^[15]