Pashto

Pashto (English pronunciation: /ˈpʌʃtoʊ/, rarely /ˈpæʃtoʊ/; Pashto: پښتو Pax̌tō [ˈpəʂt̪oː]), also known in older literature as Afghānī (افغانى) or Paṭhānī, is the South-Central Asian language of the Pashtuns. Its speakers are called Pashtuns or Pukhtuns and sometimes Afghans or Pathans. It is an Eastern Iranian language, belonging to the Indo-European family. Pashto is one of the two official languages of Afghanistan, and it is the second-largest regional language of Pakistan, mainly spoken in the west and northwest of the country. Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are almost 100% Pashto-speaking, while it is the majority language of province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pashto is the main language among the Pashtun diaspora around the world. The total number of Pashto-speakers is estimated to be 45–60 million people worldwide.