Washington, Dec. 17. President Nixon welcomed the end of the Indo- Pakistan fighting, and looked forward to the withdrawal of forces behind their own borders, the White House said today.

Mr. Ronald Ziegler, the presidential spokesman, said : “We welcome the agreement by India and Pakistan to end hostilities. That agreement has come about, we feel, as a response to the call by an overwhelming majority of the United Nations”. The United States, he indicated, would continue to press for a withdrawal of Indian troops from East Pakistan. “We look forward to the withdrawal of forces behind their borders in an orderly and systematic way.”

“The situation still is fluid there”, he added, “There is discussion occurring in the United Nations. There is still need for the parties involved to work out a peaceful solution to the problems that exist.” Although the fighting had halted, relations between India and the United States remain at a low ebb over the Nixon Administration’s frequent statements holding the Indian Government responsible for the war.