LAHORE, April 3: The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leadership has told a delegation of United States congressmen that no civilian government in Pakistan will ever be able to have control over the army unless Pentagon stops supporting it.

Party sources told Dawn on Tuesday that former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif had told the four-member delegation which called on him in London on March 31 that it was because of Pentagon’s support that military dictators got ‘certification of legitimacy’ from the US.

If Pentagon reviewed its policy, there would be no military intervention in the future, said the PML-N leader.

This was the first contact by US lawmakers with Mr Sharif during his life in exile over the past six years. Three congressmen in the team were Democrats while the fourth was Republican.

Mr Sharif gave the congressmen his assessment of the situation in Pakistan with some ideas to strengthen democracy.

He complained that the US was not playing the role it should to prevent military interventions.

“We feel let down by the policy of President George Bush, especially when he says that restoration of democracy is Pakistan’s internal matter,” the PML-N leader reportedly told the delegation. Considerable time was devoted during the meeting to steps required to ensure free and fair elections.

According to the sources, the delegation assured the PML-N that the US would send observers to monitor the general elections. The PML-N has got an impression that some more delegations of US congressmen may visit Pakistan during the next couple of months.