WHILE most youngsters spent their Easter holidays doing their homework or playing with friends, a group of pupils at Lordswood Boys' School in Harborne headed off to Pakistan.

Not only were they visiting historic cities such as Islamabad and Lahore and sights such as the Khyber Pass, but the special invitation also ensured they met a host of dignitaries including the country's President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

The boys were offered the chance of the ten day visit after winning a nationwide competition to create an IT campaign to promote Pakistan as a tourist destination.

Organised by Experience Pakistan, a branch of the country's embassy in the UK, the five Birmingham students, Taiyab Raja, Vikhaas Aslam, Thron Miah, Saiful Islam and Aqib Nadeem, were part of a group of 25 youngsters given a unique insight into the nation's life and politics.

It was 15-year-old Taiyab Raja who first proposed entering the Experience Pakistan competition, little guessing that his group would win a trip across the globe.

"My brother had done it and come second in 2002 so I knew about it and so I put a group together and we created a power point presentation," he says.

"I think they were impressed with the technical side of what we had done but we also did a lot of research into the sights. We were amazed when we won though."

For Taiyab, whose family originates from Pakistan, it was his third visit to the country but this time the trip was a little different.

"When I have been before it has been to stay with family, I never imagined meeting the Prime Minister or the President," he says.

For Taiyab the highlight of the trip was seeing the Khyber Pass.

"We went on a steam safari and we just kept getting higher and higher and then when you got there you could see all the mountains. It was amazing."

Saiful Islam was also surprised at just how ready the Pakistani leaders were to engage in discussion with the boys from Birmingham.

"I thought President Musharraf would be like a soldier and would be really serious but actually he was a really friendly guy," says 14-year-old Saiful.

"I asked about democracy in Pakistan and he said that democracy would benefit Pakistan and explained about how it could help the country make its full potential."

Saiful had not been to Pakistan before and admits it was not quite what he had imagined.

"I come from a similar culture, Bangladeshi, and thought it would be like that but it was quite different. It is a country which is developing really quickly."

It was also the first time Thron Miah, aged 15, had visited Pakistan and he too found it to be a more advanced nation than he had expected.

"I thought it would be similar to Bangladesh but it was very developed. They way people responded to us also made it a very special experience as everyone was so friendly and welcoming. They were always wanting to know about us and what we were doing there."

During the visit Thron was lucky enough to meet numerous dignitaries including Prince Rashid of Jordan at a polo match.

But Thron has to admit to being particularly star-struck when he ran into a fellow Brit at the hotel in Islamabad - boxer Amir Khan.

"It was just a coincidence as he was staying there," he says.

Vikhaas Aslam was impressed by the work that was being done to help the victims of the earthquake which devastated North-West Frontier and Pakistani-administered Kashmir last year.

"We were shown a power point presentation of how they had provided health care and food to people," he says. "They showed us how the money was being spent in immediate help. And they also showed us what they were doing to try and make buildings earthquake-proof for the future."

Fifteen-year-old Vikhaas believes the visit helped him experience the real Pakistan.

"I was surprised to see how developed the country is and to see how much they are putting into the country. When we met the Minister of Education he told us how much they were spending on education to make sure the country carried on being developed.

"Now I feel that we know about the country and can tell people what it is really like."

The education system also impressed 14-year-old Aqib Nadeem after the group visited local schools and met Pakistani pupils.

"It was the first time I had been to Pakistan and I thought it would be a poor country, but the schools were really good," he says. "We went to the art school and saw some of the painting they had been doing there, they were using photos and then turning them into paintings.

"They also had so much practical stuff in the schools. They had all the computer and IT equipment there."

The group did manage to spend a bit of time being tourists.

"We did some shopping but not that much," says Aqib. "It is different from here though because here you have a price and that is what you pay but there you have to barter down the prices. Our group was better at it than some of the others so we had to help."