Ali Mohammed Abbas went to London towards the end of the Second World War to study law. He joined the All-India Muslim League in London and edited newspapers (Our Home and the Voice of Pakistan) from London. With the creation of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, Abbas used his flat in Tavistock Square as an unofficial Pakistan embassy until an embassy was set up. He remained in England after independence and practised as a barrister. With the help of local councils, Abbas set up twenty-eight schools all over England to enable Pakistanis to speak, read and write in English.