LANDI KOTAL, Sept 7: The refusal by the provincial governor to put off the power meter installation campaign in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) has dashed the hopes of the Zakhakhel tribesmen that power supply to their area would be restored soon.
The tribesmen and the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) reached an agreement on Friday night that power supply would be restored on Saturday morning. The agreement sent a wave of jubilation among the tribesmen who celebrated the occasion by dancing on the drum beats on main roads.
However, on Saturday morning they came to know through newspaper that the governor had refused to defer meter installation drive in the tribal areas till the completion of the electoral process and thus electric supply to their area would remain suspended.
Wapda said in a statement on Saturday that it had agreed to provide electricity for two hours each in the morning and evening to enable the people to operate tubewells. It, however, noted that no progress had been made on the issue of electricity meters in the tribal region.
A tribal leader said the governor had told members of a Jirga on Friday that they should first allow installation of meters at their residences and later their demands would be looked into.
Armed Zakhakhel tribesmen were still occupying positions on hilltops, while the Frontier Constabulary and Khasadars patrolled the Peshawar-Landi Kotal Highway. The road, however, remained opened.
Power supply to the entire Landi Kotal tehsil remained suspended for the third consecutive day on Saturday, affecting work at army camp, agency headquarters hospital and offices of the political administration.
Residents were also experiencing acute water shortage as majority of the water-pumps and tubewells could not operate due to power disconnection.
Khyber Agency Political Agent, Dr Fida Wazir, also held a meeting with Zakhakhel elders on Saturday at the PA House, Landi Kotal.
The meeting remained inconclusive as the tribal elders refused to accept anything short of restoration of power supply to their area. The Khyber PA told the elders that for the time being only duration of power supply to tubewells could be increased and refused to resume the regular supply until tribesmen agreed to the installation of meters.