DACCA: The Central Communications Minister, Khan A. Sabur, said here today [April 10 J that in spite of Pakistan`s best efforts her relations with India had not normalised.

Addressing a big public meeting, organised by the Dacca City Muslim League at Paltan Maidan this evening, Mr Sabur said Pakistan was a small country and wanted to live in peace but unfortunately there had been no significant change in Indo-Pakistan relations. India continued to arm herself from all possible sources. The search for procuring arms had taken India even to Formosa and Israel, Mr Sabur said. India has also increased her defence budget to Rs.400 crores. This naturally gives rise to apprehensions regarding India`s motive behind such huge military expenditure when millions of Indians were going hungry.

In view of this he opposed the lifting of the emergency in the country.

He declared amidst cheers that the people of Pakistan valued their freedom more than anything else and were prepared to face boldly any threat to this country`s sovereignty. Correspondent [Meanwhile, as reported by agencies from Rawalpindi,] work on the construction of a befitting memorial to the first Prime Minister of the country, the late Mr Liaquat Ali Khan, will begin here tomorrow with the foundation-digging ceremony to be performed by the Cabinet Secretary, Mr A.A. Hameed.

The foundation stone of the memorial was laid by President Mohammad Ayub Khan on Oct 16, 1964 (the13th death anniversary) at the Liaquat Garden, where Mr Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated while he was about to address a public meeting in 1951.

The construction of a memorial to Pakistan`s first Prime Minister was delayed by the successive Governments which followed him. Several schemes were prepared but were never implemented.

It was President Ayub Khan who issued a directive for the preparation of a plan for an appropriate memorial, and on its approval laid the foundation stone in 1964.