The council leader answered no fewer than five questions about a friendship agreement with Khuiratta, Kashmir, over the course of a meeting at the town hall.

The agreement caused concern among the opposition after the mayor of Bolton, Mohammed Ayub, signed it without consultation on a trip to his hometown last month.

Over the course of a meeting at the town hall, the leader of the council, Nick Peel, answered no fewer than five questions about the friendship agreement from councillors including the leader of the Conservative Group Martyn Cox, the deputy leader of the Conservative Group Hilary Fairclough and the leader of the Liberal Democrats Roger Hayes.

They asked for clarification on the nature of the agreement, the outcome of the agreement, and if there was a lack of discussion.

The document reads: "This is to recognise the friendship agreement between the towns of Bolton, UK, and Khuiratta, Kashmir.

"This friendship agreement is a form of agreement between two towns for the purposes of promoting cultural ties, commercial ties and educational opportunities. Long may this friendship agreement last for the good of our townspeople."

In defence of Cllr Ayub, Cllr Peel pointed to a document signed with the city of Newry in Northern Ireland in 2014 and a document signed with the city of Zhaoqing, China, around 18 years ago, both of them with a wording comparable to the above.

He stressed the latter was signed at a time when a Lib Dem administration was in power under the late Barbara Ronson and with a couple of familiar faces in the cabinet.

Cllr Peel said: "Who was the deputy leader at the time? It was none other than Cllr Hayes. 

"Who was the cabinet member for children's services at the time? It was none other than Cllr Cox. 

"Who were the members of the Lib Dem administration who sanctioned a friendship agreement between Bolton and another city without a vote, without a consultation, without a meeting? Cllr Hayes and Cllr Cox.

"I don't mind debating the issue but spare us the hypocrisy."

In response, however, Cllr Cox suggested there were differences between China and Kashmir.

He joined the Conservative Group in 2010 after a stint with the Liberal Democrats in the 2000s.

Cllr Cox said: "I'm pleased Cllr Peel brought up this example as it provides a contrast between a meaningful friendship agreement and a meaningless friendship agreement.

"We held a series of meetings before we went out to China. Cllr Ronson led a team of 14 and the visit was streamed on Chinese TV watched by over 100 million people.

"This was a meaningful friendship agreement. Contrast it with this one. I think even the Labour Group didn't know it was going to be signed. Certainly the opposition didn't know it was going to be signed.

"Clearly something's gone wrong. Cllr Peel knows it's gone wrong. What we're asking for is in future we put this right as in this instance it went wrong."

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.