Afghan versus Pashtun Identity

[Khan]

pakistan much better than afghanistan in many reasons

afghanis in pakistan should be booted out

i was very pleased when government of paksitan prevented afghani mullahs preaching in peshawer their jahiltub on citizens of pakistan

Don't forget that your government's half income comes from Afghans pockets. The house rents that Afghans pay in Pakistan none of your Pakistanis can pay in their whole life. The day all Afghans leave Pakistan forever the second day it'll be really hard for you guys to survive. Specially your businesses will collapse in no time.

Hayatabad which is a highly Afghan populated area will look like a desert.

[BLS_1919v2.0]

Foreigners or Pashtuns under foreign influence have used the word "Afghan" for themselves. Till recent times, other ethnic groups of Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Iran, especially Persians, referred to Pashtuns by the name "Afghan". Medieval Arab, Chinese, and Persian sources called Pashtuns "Afghans". Another speculation is, the word is derived from Sanskrit's "Asvagan". In short, there is no evidence that shows "Afghan" is a native name for Pashtuns.

If there is any purpose in retaining the name "Afghan" as an ethnic as well as political term, it is to exclude all Pashtuns to the east of Durand Line whereas include all non-Pashttuns north of Hindukush under the label "Afghan".



What about Bactrians?

So what? The point still stands. Just because a foreigner chooses one of our ethnic titles to mention us, doesn't mean anything. The world knew Russians as Russians, I didn't know they disowned it? There is all the evidence to show that it is native to Pashtuns. As it has always been applied to us. Even if non pashtuns are called Afghans, it is in the context of Pashtuns. Can you show me evidence if Pashtun came from some pure Pashtu word? Chances are it was derived from something else as well.

[eyeliner]

^^ apparently the word afghan has persian origin.

[BLS_1919v2.0]

^^ apparently the word afghan has persian origin.

Well that is the view of a certain individual. Most scholars consider Afghan to come from sanskrit/avestan roots.