A GLASGOW councillor logged into a virtual committee meeting remotely from five-and-a-half-thousand miles away.

While his fellow councillors on the Licensing Committee tuned in to the remote meeting from their living rooms and kitchen tables, Hanif Raja, Labour councillor for Pollokshields, told them he was in Sri Lanka.

He informed them he might not return from the island in the Indian Ocean – where yesterday the temperature was 31 degrees – until June.

READ MORE: Tories 'tub -thumping' call to ban all prisoners from vote in Holyrood election fails

Mr Raja is understood to have travelled to Pakistan in December, for family reasons and has since then travelled to Sri Lanka.

Glasgow Times:

Why he has moved between the two countries is not clear. 

He is understood to have told councillors before the meeting officially started that he was having difficulty with his internet connection and then that he was in Sri

Lanka on holiday, that he had been there for some time and that he may not return until June.

READ MORE:Revealed: Glasgow councillors with highest and lowest attendance rates
Mr Raja has told his party he is attending meetings and keeping up with work.

Labour Group leader Malcom Cunning, said Mr Raja left to go to Pakistan having informed the Labour Group’s business manager. He said he has since been caught out by the changed travel rules.

READ MORE:Coronavirus Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon said if she gave lockdown end date she'd be 'making it up'

Mr Cunning said: “We understand he travelled to Pakistan in December due to a family situation and then got caught by travel restrictions.

“He has been attending meetings and is in contact with support staff. Under the current rules he can’t travel back to the UK without booking into a hotel for 
quarantine.”

Glasgow Times:

Mr Raja’s attendance at the Licensing Committee since he has been out of the country, however, tells a different story.

He attended yesterday – but out of five other licensing meetings so far this year, he has attended just one.

He attended one out of two Contracts and Property Committee meetings this year, he missed the one Pollokshields Area Partnership committee so far and the one

Wellbeing and Empowerment Community and City Engagement committee.

He has attended two out of 10 meetings in 2021 since being out of the country.

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “Facilities have been provided to elected members to allow them to join virtual meetings during the pandemic.

“There is nothing in the rules that specifies where an elected member must be when they join a virtual meeting.”

The Glasgow Times attempted to contact Mr Raja through his council office and social media.