Washington Star/Evening Star

NEW DELHI.-Demonstrators burned an effigy of President Nixon today and the Indian government demanded that the United States halt freighters carrying military equipment to neighboring Pakistan.

"Curse President Nixon!" and "Nixon may be destroyed!" shouted a crowd of 300 persons as they marched on the U.S. Embassy. The demonstrators were led by a member of Parliament from President Indira Gandhi's ruling Congress party.

The State Department acknowledged yesterday that three Pakistani freighters loaded with military equipment had sailed from New York for Karachi after the United States announced a ban on deliveries of arms to Pakistan .

REASON TO BELIEVE

They said they had unreason to believe that the (first) vessel carried equipment for the Pakistani armed forces that was purchased under the United States foreign military sales program and from commercial suppliers" the New York Times reported.

A State Department spokesman acknowledged that while the administration order to halt the issuing of licenses for military sales to Pakistan was meant to have been effective on March 25 it did not actually go into effect

until April 6. The first ship left April 2. Be said two additional export licenses were issued to Pakistan after the ban went into effect - one for frequency calibration equipment for radios dated March 31 and another for aircraft engine spare parts, authorized on April 6. The licenses were canceled yesterday, he said, but he did not know whether the equipment had already been shipped.

PROTEST LETTER

The New Delhi protesters were halted outside the Embassy gates by police and a small delegation was allowed to deliver a letter of protest addressed to Nixon. The group included Parliament members, members of the Delhi State Congress Committee, students and workers. They set fire to a cardboard effigy of Nixon.

In Parliament, Foreign Minister Sardar Swaran Singh told a noisy session of the lower house today that India had asked the United States to try to stop two Pakistani freighters which have not yet delivered their military cargoes.

Singh said the U.S. government had agreed to take the matter under "urgent consideration" and said India was awaiting a reply.

Opposition members of parliament interrupted Singh repeatedly with shouts of "American Imperialists"