^^ They were never under control of any state going back to British era. They were siding with Pakistan b/c we have been basically paying the tribal chiefs to side with us.
So basically what you are saying is that the article and the situation describes is true? No wonder the Great Zardari led PPP government has not disagreed with the assertion that **Pakistan’s Tribal Areas no longer lie under the sovereign control of the Pakistani state? **With people like Hamid Mir also repeating the statements as facts, the consensus is being built to allow the US led NATO forces to clean up the area from terrorists.
But what does the long term future hold for the area once the terrorists are routed out, especially as you suggested the tribal area has not been under Pakistani state control?