ANAS Sarwar’s father has returned to Scotland to provide “moral support and parental advice” to his son during Scottish Labour’s bitter leadership contest.

Mohammad Sarwar, a former Labour MP and Governor of Punjab in Pakistan, was described by his son’s campaign as being “on holiday” this week.

However Sarwar senior, who was famed for building a political machine in Glasgow, also visited the Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council and a mosque in the Capital.

A picture was posted on Twitter on Wednesday of him and seven others, including Foysol Choudhury and Shami Khan, the ELREC chair and vice chair, outside the charity’s office.

Mr Choudhury said he and others had simply taken a picture outside the office, but no meeting had taken place: “He just came down. It’s nothing to do with ELREC.”

Mr Choudhury said the Labour race was not discussed, adding ELREC was strictly apolitical.

Professor Geoffrey Palmer, who was in the ELREC building at the time, said a group of people "came in, and then they came out" then "took photographs in front of the office".

He described it as a “passing visit”.

Sarwar senior also visited Annandale mosque later in the day.

Anas Sarwar, a Glasgow MSP, is going head-to-head against Holyrood left-winger Richard Leonard in the race to succeed Kezia Dugdale, but the contest has been marked by rows on employment conditions at a business owned by the MSP’s family.

He has been criticised over the failure of United Wholesale (Scotland) - founded by Sarwar senior - to pay the real living wage to all staff, or to recognise trade unions.

Last weekend, the MSP said he had cut his financial ties with the firm by relinquishing his multi-million pound stake and transferring his shares into a trust for his children.

With seven weeks to go in the contest, Mr Sarwar will be able to draw on the huge political experience of his father, who has a network of political contacts in Scotland and Pakistan.

A source close to Anas Sarwar's campaign said of the candidate’s father: “He's here on holiday to see his family. He has no formal campaign role, although I’m sure as a proud father he will provide moral support and parental advice.”

News of Sarwar senior’s arrival coincided with the departure of one of Mr Leonard’s campaign team after a row over offensive language in press release this week.

Press officer Stephen Low had described comments by Labour MSP Jackie Baillie, one of Mr Sarwar’s supporters, as “p***”.

A Leonard campaign spokesperson said: “Stephen was volunteering on media for the campaign and is no longer doing so.”

It also emerged Mr Low had volunteered on the campaign while on sick leave from his day job at trade union Unison.

He said the arrangement was to help him prepare for a return to work and had been agreed with the union.

A member of Scottish Labour’s governing Executive, he has left Mr Leonard's campaign with immediate effect.

Asked earlier in the week whether he was on sick leave from his employer, Mr Low texted: “I'm signed off work until the middle of October - I suggested to my employer that helping out with richard's campaign could help me prepare for a return to work. They agreed.”

Low, who was a BBC journalist before joining Unison, is known for his robust views on social media platforms.

In June, referring to the Daily Mail, he wrote: “It's almost like its [sic] a contemptible reactionary s***rag.”

A senior Scottish Labour source said: “Richard’s decision to bring Stephen Low on board raises a lot of questions about his judgment.”