Before the Partition of India, the Pathans were proIndia, they did not want amalgamation into Pakistan, as Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan stated.
However, Imperial politics dictated that the Pathani populations were bifurcated by the existing Durand Line and the geography necessitated Pathans going into Pakistan.
Even last year, the ANP won the elections, a secularish party, moderate and progressive, but had to concede Sharia in their areas when the Pakistani Army didn’t come to their aid.
The Durand Line is just one more colonial era remnant that causes trouble 100+ years after the fact. Giving the Pashtuns their own country helps to isolating them. Trying to incorporate them into Pakistan and Afghanistan has been, and is, a disaster.
You’ll note all the problems internationally that occur due to arbitrary political boundaries imposed by previous empires, no? Politicians kick the can down the block in every era.