LANDI KOTAL, April 12: Despite the Wapda’s claim that it has reached an agreement for the installation of power meters in the tribal areas, the elders of the Zakhakhel tribe in the Khyber Agency have warned that if a resident of the agency agrees to get a meter installed, he will be fined one million rupees and his house will be burnt.
Armed tribesmen gathered at tribal leader Malik Darya Khan Zakhakhel’s Hujra, where this penalty was announced.
They constituted a 47-member jirga to hold negotiations with the government over the issue of meter installation by the Water and power Development Authority.
Speaking to the tribesmen, Mr Khan said they wanted to resolve the issue through negotiations, but warned that if Wapda tried to install meters by force, they would retaliate.
He disputed the claim of Wapda that Fata owed Rs6.117 billion to the authority, and alleged that the political administration was fleecing the tribesmen in the name of paying Wapda’s arrears.
The tribesman were charged Rs300 each for a national identity card and a domicile certificate, he said and claimed that the residents of the agency were denied their legal rights over the Warsak Dam royalty.
The tribal leader accused the government of non-payment of lease amount of roads and railway tracks for the last 15 years.
“Every single flour bag is charged Rs40 when the same is brought to tribal areas”, he said.
He also alleged that the Wapda chairman in the recent past had withdrawn from Safron an amount of one billion rupees as electricity charges, which was meant for development projects in Fata.
He made it clear that the jirga had not been formed to negotiate the modalities of meter installation, but it would rather “settle accounts with Wapda.”
The tribesmen blocked Peshawar-Landi Kotal Road for several hours on Monday and clashed with Wapda staff when they tried to install a meter at the residence of former senator Haji Gul Sher.
According to a press release, issued here on Friday, the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) announced April 13 as the deadline for meter installation in different areas of the Khyber Agency.
Pesco warned the tribesmen that the power supply would be disconnected after the lapse of the deadline.
It also warned that the power supply would not be restored if the tribesmen did not cooperate with its staff in its campaign.
Wapda started installing meters in the tribal agency on April 9, but stopped the drive due to resistance from the locals and instead it disconnected electricity to the tribal belt.
The political administration of the Khyber Agency has assured Pesco that it would cooperation with it in the recovery of arrears and the meter installation campaign.