Al-Haffar's involvement in politics came through his alliance with nationalist leader Abd al-Rahman Shahbandar. Shahbandar and Haffar founded the People's Party, which was the first political party in Syria under the French Mandate. The party advocated the unity of Greater Syria, and the abolition of the French Mandate. The party was banned shortly thereafter by French authorities because of suspected links to the 1925 uprising in Jabal al-Druze. After the French bombardment of Damascus following the revolt, al-Haffar spearheaded a call to end armed resistance to the French in favor of political struggle.