Who are Pushtun

Also known as Pathans, Pushtuns, or Pakhtuns, the Pashtuns are an extremely proud people comprising nearly 42% of Afghanistan’s population (11-12 million) and 12% of Pakistan’s population (18-19 million). The Pashtuns reside primarily in Eastern and Southern Afghanistan, and the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, and consist of about 608 different tribal groups. Their reputation as a fierce, independent, hot tempered, bold, and fearless people is legendary. The name “Afghan” was given to the Pashtuns by their Persian neighbors and means “unruliness” or “upheaval”. Pashtun culture is expressed in the Pashtunwali, an unwritten, undefined code of ethics which lies at the heart of the Pashtun ethos.