ATTOCK, Aug 16: Three workers of Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians were killed and three others were seriously injured when armed persons opened fire on an election office of the opposition ARD candidate , Dr Sikandar Hayat, in Qutbal village in Fatehjang on Monday evening.

Dr Hayat is contesting for the NA-59 National Assembly seat in August 18 by-election. Sources said three armed men in a green car fired indiscriminately on PPP workers at the election office.

PPP leaders Raja Pervez Ashraf, Naheed Khan, Sher Afzal, Malik Hakmeen Khan, Naveed Chaudhry, Qasim Zia, and Dr Sikandar Hayat were at a public rally in the nearby Bhoota village when the attack took place.

They rushed to the tehsil hospital in Fatehjang where the injured had been taken. Talking to journalists in the premises of the hospital, the PPP leaders termed the incident target killings.

Punjab PPP president Qasim Zia called it the worst kind of political victimization under which the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy workers were being harassed by the ruling party because they were "sensing defeat in the by-election."

He said the matter had been brought to the notice of Inspector General Police and DIG police Rawalpindi Range for immediate arrest of the culprits. District Police Officer Attock and the deputy superintendent of police, Fateh jang, were not available for comment.