US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Monday that Washington would "review" its financial aid to Pakistan after President Pervez Musharraf [Images] imposed emergency in his country.

"Obviously, we are going to review the situation with aid, in part because we have to see what may be triggered by certain statutes," Rice told reporters in Jerusalem.

The US has given Pakistan, a key partner in its 'war against terror', almost $11 billion in aid since 2001.
Rice, however, said reviewing the assistance programme was a "complicated" matter as it was also used to fight terrorism.

"We have to be very cognizant of the fact that some of the assistance that has been going directly to Pakistan is directly related to counter-terrorism missions," Rice said. "This is a complicated matter."

The US secretary of state asserted that the Bush administration did not support Musharraf's declaration of emergency.
"I just want to repeat that of course the United States does not support and, communicated to the Pakistani leadership prior to this action, that it would not support, extra-constitutional means," she said.

Rice urged Musharraf, who earlier had pledged to step aside as Pakistan's military leader and become a civilian president, to return Pakistan to constitutional rule as soon as possible.

"I think it is in the best interests of Pakistan and the best interests of the Pakistani people for there to be a prompt return to the constitutional course, for there to be affirmation that elections will be held for a new parliament, and for all parties to act with restraint in what is obviously a very difficult situation," she said.

The US secretary of state is on a two-day visit to the region to infuse momentum in stalled talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) over drafting a joint declaration that would serve as the basis for the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.