Jahangir Hanif is no stranger to controversy. He recently faced claims of hypocrisy after he promised to bring Nicola Sturgeon, the Deputy First Minister, to a Glasgow street that was nicknamed “ground zero” because of its dilapidated state, to see the poor conditions without admitting that he owned a property there.

The business management consultant owns a string of properties that he rents out, as well as a plot of land. Councillor Hanif lists poverty, crime rates and education as his main political interests.

Despite being elected to Glasgow City Council only last year, Councillor Hanif holds an influential position within the SNP group as one of only five of its 22 members to serve on its decision-making executive committee.

Councillor Hanif is also a key player within wider SNP circles. As a founding member of Scots Asians for Independence he had the ear of Alex Salmond, the SNP leader.

He was even credited with helping to put the finishing touches to Mr Salmond’s speech to the SNP conference after the 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001.

In it Mr Salmond referred to the words of George W. Bush, the US President, who said attacks on Muslims represented not the best of America, but the worst of humanity.

Mr Salmond said: “We are privileged to have in Scotland one of the most productive and patriotic Muslim communities.

“They are far more part of Scottish society than the morons and thugs who have been threatening them will ever be.”

Mr Hanif said at the time: “We are all Scots and we should try and be united to find these extremists, but we cannot do it if we are divided amongst ourselves.

“If we are fighting each other then how can we go and hunt our common enemy — these extremists want us to be divided.”

Councillor Hanif has been a supporter of the Scottish Nationalists for more than 20 years and joined the party in 1997.

A grassroots party activist, he rose through the ranks to serve on the party’s national executive committee and was chosen to contest the 2005 general election in Ayrshire Central, where he came fourth.

It is understood that the father of six is at present going through a difficult divorce.

Friends say that he had harboured hopes of becoming a member of the Scottish Parliament, but that dream last night looked to be in tatters.

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