By Kristin Roberts

WASHINGTON, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. military is looking at alternate routes to send supplies to troops in Afghanistan in case the political crisis in Pakistan makes current supply lines unavailable, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.

The U.S. military sends 75 percent of its supplies for the Afghanistan war through or over Pakistan, including 40 percent of the fuel sent to troops, the Defense Department said.

Those routes have remained open after Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, declared emergency rule on Nov. 3, suspending the constitution and arresting thousands of activists.

But Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said the military had to make contingency plans due to importance of those supply lines.

"There are efforts underway right now to figure out contingency supply lines to our troops in Afghanistan if it becomes necessary to alter the way we now support our troops in Afghanistan," Morrell said.

"In light of the fact that there is civil unrest in Pakistan, in light of the fact that there is a state of emergency in Pakistan, we feel it is responsible, given the importance of the Pakistani supply lines to our operations in Afghanistan, to have a contingency plan."

Morrell said the United States does not send ammunition through Pakistan.

"No matter what is happening on the ground in Pakistan, it will not impact us being able to provide ammunition to troops in Afghanistan," he said.

The United States considers Pakistan an important ally in its war on terrorism. The U.S. military in particular works closely with Pakistani forces, especially along the Afghan border.

But U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said he was concerned that instability in Pakistan could distract Pakistani forces from those anti-terrorist operations.

The United States is reviewing all aid to Pakistan, which has received about $10 billion in U.S. funding since 2001. Morrell said he did not know if any U.S. military funding to Pakistan was being used by the Pakistani government to implement emergency rule. (Editing by David Wiessler)

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