. ▁ ▁Form ation ▁After ▁the ▁Second ▁Ang lo - S ikh ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 8 – 1 8 4 9 , ▁the ▁S ikh ▁emp ire ▁based ▁in ▁L ah ore ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁British ▁East ▁India ▁Company . ▁This ▁region ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁' Front ier ▁Trib al ▁Are as ' ▁acted ▁as ▁a ▁' buffer ' ▁zone ▁with ▁Afghan istan . ▁The ▁Province ▁was ▁formally ▁created ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁administration , ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁North - W ester ly ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁originally ▁Pas ht un ▁lands ▁which ▁were ▁merged ▁with ▁old ▁P un j ab , ▁initially ▁under ▁a ▁Chief ▁Commission er , ▁and ▁then ▁a ▁full - f led ged ▁Governor ▁beginning ▁circa ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁ ▁Inside ▁Pakistan ▁Before ▁the ▁Part ition ▁of ▁India , ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁North - West ▁Front ier ▁Province ▁refer endum ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁to ▁decide ▁the ▁future ▁of ▁N W FP , ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁the ▁province ▁decided ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁joining ▁Pakistan . ▁However , ▁the ▁then ▁Chief ▁Minister ▁Dr ▁Khan ▁Sah ib , ▁along ▁with ▁his ▁brother ▁Bach a ▁Khan ▁and ▁the ▁Kh ud ai ▁Kh id mat g ars , ▁boy c otted ▁the ▁refer endum , ▁cit ing ▁that ▁it ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁the ▁options ▁of ▁the ▁N W FP ▁becoming ▁independent ▁or ▁joining ▁Afghan istan . ▁ ▁The ▁N W FP