US ready to help Pakistan in 'memogate' probe

US Ambassador Cameron Munter on Tuesday said that the American administration was prepared to help in any probe by Pakistan into the secret memorandum that purportedly sought US help to prevent a military takeover in the country.

However, Munter made it clear that Pakistani authorities would have to decide how to handle the matter and the modalities for any investigation into the issue.

"We just leave it to the Pakistani authorities. We think they are the people who should decide. I think whatever solution, whether it's (probe by a Supreme Court panel) or another -- that's for Pakistan to decide and we'll be as helpful as we can in any way that we're asked," Munter told a TV news channel.

"We are very much in support of the democratic process here, we support your constitution, we support the rule of law, we support the will of the Pakistani people," he added.

Asked if he believed the memo made public by Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz was genuine and if the civilian government had faced the threat of a military coup in the aftermath of the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May, Munter said: "We're waiting to see what happens with (Pakistan's) Ambassador (to the US Husain) Haqqani.

"I believe he's back in the country, he'll be talking with the authorities here to find out what really happened. I'll be honest with you – I don't know. We need to find out from this inquiry what this memo is and what it meant," he said.

Munter said he had not seen the memo till it was published.

Haqqani has been at the centre of the "Memogate" controversy since Ijaz claimed he had drafted and delivered the memo on the instructions of the envoy.

Haqqani was called back by the government to explain his position and is expected to meet Pakistan's civilian and military leadership later on Tuesday