17 Facts About Pashtunistan

Pashtunistan first gained an autonomous status in 1709, when Mirwais Hotak successfully revolted against the Safavids in Loy Kandahar.

Khan later stated that "Pashtunistan was never a reality" and that the idea of an independent Pashtunistan would never help Pashtuns and only cause suffering for them.

Pashtunistan further stated that the "successive governments of Afghanistan only exploited the idea for their own political goals".

Afghanistan is a reference to this land by its ethnicity, which were the Afghans, while Pashtunistan is a reference to this land by its language.

Mention of this land by the name of Afghanistan predates mention by the name of Pashtunistan, which has been mentioned by Ahmad Shah Durrani in his famous couplet, by 6th-century Indian astronomer Varahamihira, 7th-century Chinese pilgrim Hiven Tsiang, 14th-century Moroccan scholar Ibn Battuta, Mughal Emperor Babur, 16th-century historian Firishta and many others.

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Pashto name Pakhtunistan or Pashtunistan evolved originally from the Indian word "Pathanistan" .

The main language spoken in the delineated Pashtunistan region is Pashto followed by others such as Balochi, Hindko, Gojri, and Urdu.

The eastern parts of Pashtunistan were ruled by the Mughal Empire, while the western parts were ruled by the Persian Safavids as their easternmost provinces.

In June 1947, Mirzali Khan, Bacha Khan, and other Khudai Khidmatgars declared the Bannu Resolution, demanding that the Pashtuns be given a choice to have an independent state of Pashtunistan composing all Pashtun majority territories of British India, instead of being made to join the new state of Pakistan.

Concept of Pashtunistan has varying meanings across Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Pashtunistan demand served the cause of domestic Afghan politics, where several successive governments used the idea to strengthen "Pashtun ethnic support" for the state.

Pashtunistan wanted Pashtun-dominated areas like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baloch-dominated areas like Balochistan to become part of Afghanistan.

Pashtunistan further said that "successive Afghan governments have exploited the idea for their own political ends".

Pashtunistan made this declaration while he was on an official visit to Islamabad, Pakistan.

Since the late 19th century, the traditional Pashtunistan region has gradually expanded to the Amu River in the north.

Durand Line and Pashtunistan issues have been raised by different Afghan regimes in the past.

Prominent 20th century proponents of the Pashtunistan cause have included Khan Abdul Wali Khan and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.