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From my personal experience, most Pashtuns don't see a contradiction between being Pashtun and Pakistani. In their eyes you can be a proud Pashtun and Pakistani because Pakistani is not an ethnicity. or nation but more like a union of different muslim nations such as punjabis, sindhis, etc. For example you can be a proud Italian and a proud European.
They are confident enough that they will not lose their culture, language, identity etc being part of this union because Pakistan is a federal state unlike Afghanistan and the boundrieis for each ethnic groups are clearly marked and most Pashtuns live in their own province named after them except for Pashtuns of Balochistan who have become part of Balochistan due to political reasons and games to divide Pashtuns.
Many Pashtuns in Pakistan see themselves as the defenders of the Islamic state of Pakistan, they are proud that it was the tribal Pashtuns who freed Azad Kashmir from India. There is a common slogan in Pakistan "Pakistan ka matlab kya?" La illaha Illallah" meaning Pakistan was created for Islam. Many feel they will feel guilty if they don't defend their muslim pakistani brothers from Hindu India. Islam plays a vital role to keep the union of Pakistan together.
Joining Afghanistan is not an attractive option to them due to wars in Afghanistan and the economic situation. They see more prosperity in being part of Pakistan despite all the challanges. To many Pakistani Pashtuns it doesn't make sense to leave a desi Indic Pakistan and join a farsiwan Afghanistan as they see it.
The Pakistani school books concentrate mainly on the history of muslims in India and their struggle to create a seperate state for themselves. The kids from an early age are taught about "Nazria e Pakistan", etc so its deeply entrenched in them by the time they grow up. Most Pakistani Pashtuns don't really respect Jinnah and call him wuch konai although they do respect Alama Iqbal.
They are confident enough that they will not lose their culture, language, identity etc being part of this union because Pakistan is a federal state unlike Afghanistan and the boundrieis for each ethnic groups are clearly marked and most Pashtuns live in their own province named after them except for Pashtuns of Balochistan who have become part of Balochistan due to political reasons and games to divide Pashtuns.
Many Pashtuns in Pakistan see themselves as the defenders of the Islamic state of Pakistan, they are proud that it was the tribal Pashtuns who freed Azad Kashmir from India. There is a common slogan in Pakistan "Pakistan ka matlab kya?" La illaha Illallah" meaning Pakistan was created for Islam. Many feel they will feel guilty if they don't defend their muslim pakistani brothers from Hindu India. Islam plays a vital role to keep the union of Pakistan together.
Joining Afghanistan is not an attractive option to them due to wars in Afghanistan and the economic situation. They see more prosperity in being part of Pakistan despite all the challanges. To many Pakistani Pashtuns it doesn't make sense to leave a desi Indic Pakistan and join a farsiwan Afghanistan as they see it.
The Pakistani school books concentrate mainly on the history of muslims in India and their struggle to create a seperate state for themselves. The kids from an early age are taught about "Nazria e Pakistan", etc so its deeply entrenched in them by the time they grow up. Most Pakistani Pashtuns don't really respect Jinnah and call him wuch konai although they do respect Alama Iqbal.
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