LANDI KOTAL, Aug 31: Armed Zakhakhel tribesmen, protesting against Wapda move to install electricity meters at their homes, after reaching an understanding with the political administration, vacated their trenches and also restored power supply to Landi Kotal tehsil in Khyber Agency.
The Zakhakhel tribesmen have in the meantime constituted a negotiating team to hold talks with Wapda and political administration over the meter installation issue.
The administration lifted its blockade of the Peshawar-Torkhum high way late on Friday evening while protesting Zakhakhel youngsters allowed Wapda line men to repair main power supply line on Sunday morning. Power supply which remained suspended to the entire Landi Kotal tehsil, including the army cantonment, was restored at about 12.15 pm on Sunday.
As agreed on Friday, Wapda also restored power supply to Zakhakhel and Ali Masjid areas for two and a half hours so as to enable tubewell operators to run their pumping machine to supply water to the area. The agreement was brokered by a spiritual leader Allah Noorul Haq Qadri and his nephew Allama Abdul Malik Qadri. Noorul Haq is a candidate for the national assembly seat from Khyber Agency.
Talking to Dawn, head of the Zakhakhel tribe, Malik Darya Khan Afridi urged the authorities to postpone the meter installation programmed till the holding of general elections in the country. He insisted that the issue could better be solved by the elected representatives of the people.
