Although the government has never officially recognized Pashto, the language is commonly used in the country. Its vocabulary is heavily influenced by Dari, which serves as the language of neighboring Afghanistan. The language also includes a large number of Arabic and Indian loanwords, most of which were adopted through Urdu. Most international words entered Pashto through the same route, from Indian English.
In the country, approximately 25 million people speak Pashto. This makes it the official language in some areas. It is spoken by about 15% of the population. Most speakers live in FATA, which is a region of the country. However, it is also spoken in the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.
While many languages are regarded as “official languages”, Pashto is not an official one in Pakistan. The government has a long-standing policy of not recognizing other languages. It is unclear why the country hasn’t officially recognized Pashto as an official language. Currently, about 25 million Pashto speakers live in FATA, where it is spoken by a large minority of the population.
Despite the fact that the country has a vast majority of Pashto speakers, it is not an official language. Its speakers reside in FATA, Balochistan, Mianwali, Attock, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. It is also spoken in Tajistan, the UAE, and Afghanistan. It is the national language of Afghanistan.
Pashto was first written in the 16th century. It was based on the Peshawar dialect and Kandahar dialect. The name is derived from a proto-Iranian language. The word’s’ is pronounced’s’ in some dialects, but ‘h’ is pronounced ‘z’ in the Ghazni dialect.
The country has a diverse range of languages. While some are spoken by the majority of the population, the majority is considered an ethnic minority. Those who speak it are generally considered ‘Pashtun’. A few other minority languages, such as Baluchi and Urdu, are regarded as non-official and aren’t part of the state. But in a country where the language is largely confined to rural areas, Pashto is widely used and is the national language.
It is an ethnic language that is not spoken by the majority of the population. Historically, it was spoken by the Afghan elite. In 1933, King Nadir Khan formally adopted a dual-language policy. In 1936, he formally recognized Pashto as an official language. During the next five decades, Pashto was used in all aspects of the country’s government and education. Eventually, it became the national tongue and symbol of the Pashtun community.
