BURNLEY Mayor Coun Rafique Malik received a rapturous welcome when he returned to his Pakistan homeland as Burnley's civic leader.

MP Peter Pike. who accompanied him on the first stage of the tour and who has returned to Burnley. said they were overwhelmed.

"The reception was incredible wherever we went and at one meeting we spoke to a rally of 6,000," said Mr Pike.

"We were greeted by bands, grlands, the lot."

Coun Malik returned to his home town in Gujrat and with Mr Pike visited Islamabad, and the trouble-torn Kashmir region for an update on the situation there.

Said Mr Pike: "We met the Prime Minister of Kashmir Sultan Mahmoua and the Kashmir President Sardar Ibrahim Khan.

In Islamabad, we visited the British High Commission to discuss projects in Pakistan."

The earth moved for the Burnley duo when they were welcomed to Islamabad by an earthquake!

"It was 6.2 on the Richter scale -- no damage was done, much to my surprise, but it was quite worrying," Mr Pike added.

Coun Malik is due to return to Britain today.