KOHAT, Sept 29: The entire Orakzai Agency has been doing without electricity for the past four months although the tribes accused of damaging the Kalaya grid station have already deposited Rs4.5 million as fine.

An official from Kalaya, headquarters of Orakzai Agency, said that Wapda was demanding full payment for the damages.

The Mishti and Sheikhan tribesmen had attacked the grid station following lengthy loadshedding in May. The Wapda sent a replacement after a month but it was of insufficient capacity. The station tripped several times a day and finally stopped functioning.

Sources said that Tesco officials replaced the transformer, but it was of an even lower capacity, resulting in frequent power outages, infuriating the tribesmen further.

Last month, students attacked the Kalaya grid station in protest against power shutdowns which aggravated the problem. They damaged office equipment and furniture and many of them were arrested.

Armed tribesmen later attacked lock-ups and got the detained people released from the custody of Khasadars, delaying the grid station’s repair.

The tribes jointly appealed to Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai to order immediate repair of the grid station. They said that the entire Orakzai Agency was being punished for the crime of two tribes which was sheer injustice.