LAHORE: The West Pakistan Finance Minister Syed Yaqub Shah, while presenting a surplus budget of Rs7.424 crores for 1962-63 to the Provincial Assembly yesterday afternoon, proposed neither fresh taxes affecting the whole Province nor any substantial rise in the level of taxation. The Minister announced relief for electricity consumers in the south zone of the province by abolishing duty on it.

Delivering his budget speech in Urdu, he received the applause of the House when he announced a rise in the rate of excise duty on foreign liquor in Karachi from Rs30 per gallon to Rs60 per gallon, as prevalent elsewhere in West Pakistan.

The total revenue receipts for the next year are estimated at Rs115.92 crores, while the total expenditure is estimated at Rs108.68 crores.

‘Democratic group’ in NA

RAWALPINDI: The formation of a “democratic group” of like-minded person in the National Assembly was announced here yesterday after a four-hour meeting of some East Pakistan members.—Agencies