WASHINGTON, Nov 5: The United States on Sunday suspended annual defence talks with Pakistan while Defence Secretary Robert Gates hinted that Washington may also review its defence assistance to Islamabad.

“The United States is watching the developing situation in Pakistan closely and will review all assistance programmes to the country,” US Armed Forces Press Service quoted Mr Gates as saying.

But Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said the review of defence assistance would be “mindful to not undermine on-going counter-terrorism efforts”.

Mr Morrell, who made the announcement about the talks, emphasised that the consultations had been postponed, and not cancelled.

Defence Undersecretary for Policy Eric Edelman was to head the US delegation to the meetings in Islamabad, which were scheduled for Nov 6 and 7.

“In the light of President Musharraf’s declaration it was thought wise to postpone this meeting until such time that all parties can focus on the very important issues at hand that they have to discuss,” Mr Morrell said. “These are important bilateral meetings that require an atmosphere where the issues can be addressed with the full attention of all participants,” the Pentagon press secretary said.

“We hope to reschedule these meetings as soon as conditions are more conducive to the important objectives at hand.”

Mr Gates, speaking to the media in Beijing after a meeting with Chinese leaders, said: “Pakistan is a country of great strategic importance to the United States and a key partner in the war on terror.”

He said the United States was trying to persuade President Musharraf to return his country to “law-based, constitutional and democratic rule as soon as possible”.

The Pentagon spokesman disagreed with a suggestion that there was confusion in the US government on how to respond to the crisis in Pakistan. He said the message to President Musharraf was uniform throughout the US government”

“There is a degree of disappointment that General Musharraf has taken the steps that he has taken, and we would urge him to return to a law-based, constitutional democratic government as early as possible.”

Mr Morrell, the Pentagon spokesman, said no military operations in Afghanistan had been affected so far.

F-16 PLANES: The Pentagon also said that the United States would review the sale of 36 F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan.

Spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters that the United States would also review hundreds of millions of dollars worth of annual military aid to Pakistan.

A big part of that aid is approximately $80 million per month of US reimbursements for operations against the Al Qaeda along the Afghan border.

Mr Whitman said the Pentagon was looking at all its programmes in the wake of emergency in Pakistan to determine what he called “the most appropriate way forward”.

The review, he added, included the sale of 36 F-16 fighter jets, approved last year. But Mr Whitman also spoke of Pakistan’s importance in the ‘war on terror’, saying the review of US aid to the Musharraf government would be led by the State Department.

“As far as I know, with respect to our border operations and our coordination on military operations, that continues,” Mr Whitman said.