A delegation of councillors are currently visiting Pakistan.

Mayor Nadeem Ali, his father and High Street ward councillor, Liaquat Ali, Lea Bridge ward councillor Masood Ahmad, and Higham Hill ward councillor, Haroon Khan, all left for the Kashmir region of Pakistan on April 1.

The Labour councillors are visiting Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, who is paying for the trip, to share best practice in services and governance.

A council spokesman said: “Further to a visit made a couple of weeks ago to the borough by the President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Mayor of Waltham Forest and a number of other councillors have reciprocated by visiting him at his invitation.

“This has been done at no cost to the council and declarations of hospitality have already been published and will be added to on return from the trip as required.”