Entrepreneur Rab Nawaz's riches don't make him immune to the suffering of others.

When the Bradford businessman visited Pakistan after last October's earthquake what he saw left an indelible mark.

And the 34-year-old made a vow to use some of the fortune he has made in the food trade to ease the suffering.

Now a remarkable project is well under way. On a patch of land, 60km south of Islamabad, a team of labourers are working round the clock to construct 100 houses for families left homeless by the quake.

The first 30 families have been moved to a camp nearby and given tents, food, medical supplies and clothes. A school has been set up and a doctor visits three times a week.

Each family will get 50,000 rupees - about £470 - which is roughly six months' salary, to start them up again when construction is complete.

And the entire £250,000 project is being funded by Mr Nawaz, the restaurant entrepreneur and director of the Mumtaz food empire who, earlier this week, was named in this year's Asian Rich List.

"When I went back to Pakistan after the earthquake I was distraught at what I saw and had to help," he said. "I was determined to do something."

Mr Nawaz was born in Kashmir but his family left for the UK when he was ten months old.

The Mumtaz restaurant, started 25 years ago by his mother, Farzand, has expanded greatly and now supplies major supermarkets and upmarket stores like Harrods Food Hall with ready meals.

Mr Nawaz said: "We have a successful business and are very much trusted and respected by the Asian community. We want to use some of the wealth gained from our business to help others. This is very important to us."

He plans to return to Kashmir next month to check on developments.

"It will be great to see everyone again," he said. "I am looking forward to seeing how far the houses have come along. When I was last there it was just a ploughed field but I know the foundations are in and the bricks are being laid as we speak.

"Everyone in the camp lost at least one person in the earthquake, their village was totally flattened and many children have been orphaned.

"One woman is well into her 70s and lost her daughter and son-in-law. She was already a widow and has been left to bring up seven grandchildren under the age of 11.

"When I went to the camp I told them they were part of my family now and I would help them get their lives back on track.

"We want the children to do well at school and the adults to build up a business community that can get everyone back on their feet.

"These people have gone through so much. Hopefully this will go some way to getting them through it."