ARTICLE: Clinton: Pakistani Government 'Abdicating' to Extremist Forces, By Glenn Kessler, Washington Post, April 23, 2009

Tough words from Clinton, but the truth should be told. The FATA are a collection of tribes attached to Pakistan's territory, but it's never really been part of any sovereign nation called Pakistan. The FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) does not come under Pakistan's constitution. Islamabad has agencies "run" the areas much like U.S. agencies once ran Native American reservations in the 19th century (now it's combined under the Bureau for Indian Affairs inside the Interior Department). Much like our current reservations, the FATA are quasi-indepedent, more associated with Pakistan than ruled by it.

You can say Pakistan can't "abdicate" that which it never ran, and you'd be even more right.