ATTOCK, Oct 10: The candidates and polling agents of PPP, PML-N and MMA staged a protest against the chief election commissioner, Irshad Hasan Khan, for giving a lukewarm response towards their complaints of rigging.

The enraged candidates and their supporters blocked the road in front of the polling station and chanted slogans against the Election Commission.

The chief election commissioner was on a visit to a women polling station no 2 in Nursing Training School Attock city, alongwith the secretary, election commission; district returning officer Attock, Manzoor Hussain Malik; returning officer Attock Sohail Nasir, district police officer (DPO) Attock Syed Irshad Hussain Shah; DCO Attock Syed Javed Shah and other officials.

The PPP candidate from NA-57, Sheikh Ehsan Advocate, polling agent of PML-N Sheikh Shahid Mehmood and a polling agent of MMA, Syed Yawar Bukhari complained to the CEC that the DSP Attock Raja Sikandar, SHO Police Station Attock city Haji Shafique and other police officials were openly interfering in the election process. They complained that the officials were harassing the voters and forcing them to cast their votes in favour of PML-Q candidates.

But, the CEC instead of taking action against the officials concerned asked the DPO Attock Syed Irshad Hussain Shah to look into the matter.

The complainants became infuriated when the CEC left the scene, leaving the matter to the police officers.

Sheikh Ehsan Advocate, Sheikh Shahid and Syed Yawar Bukhari regretted the non-serious attitude of the CEC. They, alongwith their supporters, erected barriers on the road which disrupted the smooth flow of traffic. Police had to resort to baton-charge to control the situation.

District Nazim Attock Maj Tahir Sadiq Khan (retired) alongwith PML-Q activists, including former chairman Attock district council Sardar Mehmood Khan, arrived at the scene and ordered the SHO Attock city to handle the miscreants irrespective of their political affiliation.

The CEC, however, cancelled his scheduled visit to other polling stations, including Govt Boys High school No 2 and Girls High School Attock city.