List of Pashtuns
The following is an incomplete list of notable Pashtuns.[1] The list includes those born to parents who are both Pashtuns and those who have mixed Pashtun ancestry. Pashtun people are usually defined by speaking the East Iranian dialects of Pashto and related dialects (i.e. Waneci, Wazirwola) as their mother tongue, and/or Practice Pashtunwali (culture); however, there exist many Pashtun communities that assimilated and/or shifted to speaking another language but trace their ancestral roots to Pashtun tribes. In several cases, patrilineal lineage is counted for Pashtun ancestry according to Pashtun culture regardless of the mother's line or mixed descent. Pashtuns most likely originated as a tribal confederation of people or peoples of proto-Indo-European origin somewhere in Central Asia from which other Indo-Aryan and Iranian peoples may also originate.
A
- Ahmad Shah Durrani – founding father of Afghanistan
- Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani – politician in Afghanistan
- Ahmad Zahir – Afghan musician
- Anwar Kamal Khan – politician in Pakistan
- Abdus Salim Khan, noted civil servant and diplomat of India and Pakistan
- Abbas Khattak – retired general of Pakistan
- Alauddin Khalji- Sultan of Delhi
- Abdul Majid Khan Tarin, OBE – British-Indian magistrate, politician and philanthropist
- Abdul Ahad Mohmand – the first Afghan cosmonaut
- Abdul Aziz Hotak – the second ruler of the Afghan Hotaki dynasty
- Abdul Ghani Khan – Pashtun poet from Pakistan
- Abdul Hai Habibi – historian and politician in Afghanistan
- Abdul Haq – political figure in Afghanistan who was killed by the Taliban in late 2001
- Abdul Jabbar Naeemi – politician in Afghanistan
- Abdul Wahid Durrani – former Pakistani soccer player
- Abdur Rab Nishtar – Pakistan movement activist
- Abdul Rasul Sayyaf – politician in Afghanistan
- Abdul Wahid Khan
- Abdur Rahman Khan – monarch of Afghanistan in the late 19th century
- Abdul Rahman Pazhwak
- Abdul Salam Azimi – Chief Justice of Afghanistan
- Abdul Qadir – politician in Afghanistan until his death in 2002
- Abdul Qadeer Khan – nuclear scientist, Pakistan
- Abdul Waheed Kakar – former Pakistan Chief of Army Staff
- Abid Ullah Jan
- Abdul Rahim Wardak – Defense Minister of Afghanistan
- Abdul Zahir – politician in Afghanistan during the 1970s
- Afrasiab Khattak – politician in Pakistan
- Aftab Ahmad Sherpao – politician in Pakistan
- Afzal Khan Lala – Pashtun politician from Swat Pakhtunkhwa
- Ajmal Khattak – Pashtun politician and poet from Akora Khatak Pakhtunkhwa
- Afzal Bangash – Pashtun Marxist political activist from Pakistan
- Ahmad Faraz – Urdu poet from Kohat Pakhtunkhwa
- Ahmed Raza Khan - Islamic scholar
- Akhtar Mohammad Osmani
- Akhtar Sheerani- Indo-Pakistani poet
- Akram Khan Durrani – politician in Pakistan
- Ali Mohammed Khan
- Ali Ahmad Jalali – politician in Afghanistan
- Ali Kuli Khan Khattak- retired Pakistani army general
- Amanullah Khan – Ghazi of the Third Anglo-Afghan War and King of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929
- Amanullah Khan Jadoon – politician in Pakistan
- Amirzai Sangin – politician in Afghanistan
- Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi – former Lieutenant General in Pakistan Army
- Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri- Pakistani politician
- Amir Kror Suri – 8th-century folk hero and a king from the Ghor region in Afghanistan
- Amjad Khan – Bollywood actor
- Adnan Sami- singer
- Anwar Saifullah Khan – politician in Pakistan
- Anwar ul-Haq Ahadi
- Anwar Kamal Khan (Marwat-Mina Khel) – politician in Pakistan
- Arbab Jehangir Khan – politician in Pakistan
- Armeena Khan – Actress from Pakistan
- Asadullah Khan – member of the Afghanistan national cricket team
- Asadullah Khalid – politician in Afghanistan
- Assadullah Wafa – politician in Afghanistan
- Asfandyar Wali Khan – politician in Pakistan
- Asfand Yar Khan Kakar – politician in Pakistan
- Ashraf Hotaki – Shah of Persia from 1725 to 1729 and the fourth ruler of the Hotaki dynasty
- Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai – President of Afghanistan; former Finance Minister of Afghanistan
- Ashraf Jehangir Qazi – former Pakistani ambassador to the US
- Aslam Khattak – politician in Pakistan
- Ayesha Khan – Actress from Pakistan
- Ayub Khan – former Pakistani President
- Ayub Shah—Afghan king
- Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai
- Akbar Ayub Khan- MPA from Haripur district, NWFP/KP, Pakistan
D
- Dadullah
- Daud Shah Saba – politician in Afghanistan
- Daud Khan Rohilla
- Daulat Khan Lodhi
- Dil Jan Khan – former President of International Narcotics Control Board in Pakistan
- Din Mohammad – politician in Afghanistan
- Delbar Jan Arman – politician in Afghanistan
- Dost Mohammad Khan – monarch of Afghanistan in the 19th century
F
- Faqir of Ipi – former freedom fighter in Pakistan
- Fardeen Khan-actor
- Faiza Khan- artist
- Farhad Darya – Afghan musician
- Fawad Khan- actor and model
- Farhatullah Babar – politician in Pakistan
- Faryadi Sarwar Zardad
- Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman – politician in Pakistan
- Feroz Khan – Indian actor
G
- General Bakht Khan Rohilla- Indian freedom fighter/commander of 1857
- Gul Agha Sherzai – politician in Afghanistan
- Gul Hamid- actor/director
- Gul Panra – Singer from Peshawar, Pakistan
- Ghulam Farooq Wardak – politician in Afghanistan
- Ghulam Ali Khan, famous classical music maestro
- Ghulam Ishaq Khan (Bangash) – former President of Pakistan
- Ghulam Muhammad – politician in Pakistan
- Gohar Ayub Khan – politician in Pakistan; son of former President Ayub Khan
- Gul Hassan Khan – former Lieutenant General of Pakistan Army
- Gulbuddin Hekmatyar – politician and warlord from Afghanistan
H
- Habibullah Khan- King/Emir of Afghanistan
- Habibullah Khan Tarin- ex-Speaker if NWFP/KP Assembly
- Haibat Khan Niazi – Commander of Niazi contingent of Sher Shah Suri's army and Governor of Punjab
- Hayat Sherpao – politician in Pakistan
- Khan Habibullah Khan (Marwat) (Former Chairman of the Senate, Pakistan)
- Hayatullah Khan Durrani – Sports Secretary of Pakistan Customs Sports Board
- Hafiz Rahmat Khan
- Hafizullah Amin
- Hakim Taniwal – politician in Afghanistan
- Hamid Karzai – President of Afghanistan since 2001
- Hamid Khan Lodhi – founder of Lodhi dynasty of Multan after end of Arab rule in 961 A.D
- Hamidullah Khan- last Nawab of former Bhopal state in India
- Hamidullah Qalandarzai – politician in Afghanistan
- Haris Tarin- American/Afghan Muslim leader
- Hashim Khan – former squash player from Pakistan
- Hedayat Amin Arsala – politician in Afghanistan who previously worked for World Bank
- Hiddy Jahan – squash player from Pakistan
- Hira Tareen, model, actress and VJ
- Hussain Hotaki – the last ruler of the Hotaki dynasty at Kandahar
- Hamid Gul – Lieutenant-General – Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence
- Humayun Saifullah Khan- Pakistani industrialist
I
- Ibrahim Lodhi
- Imran Khan Niazi – politician and former cricket player of Pakistan
- Imran Ullah Khan – retired Lieutenant General of Pakistan Army
- Inayatullah Khan- Afghan king
- Inayatullah Khan Gandapur- Pakistani politician and tribal elder from DI Khan area
- Muhammad Iqbal Khan Jadoon – former Chief Minister NWFP
- Iqbal Khan Jadoon – retired general of Pakistan Army
- Ishaq Khan Khakwani (Khugyani) – politician in Pakistan
- Ismail Shahid- Pakistani actor/comedian
- Irfan Khan Pathan-Indian cricketer
- Irfan Khan - pashtun singer who sings in different languages including pekhawa kho pekhawar & Janan duet with hadiqa kiani
- Isa Khan Niazi – Masnad-e-Aali in reign of Sher Shah Suri shafqat zaman
J
- Jalaluddin Haqqani – militant commander in Waziristan region of Pakistan
- Jahangir Khan- champion squash player from Pakistan
- Jahangir Khan (cricketer)- senior Indo-Pakistani cricketer
- Jehangir Khan Tareen, Pakistani businessman and politician
- Jamal Shah – Pakistani actor
- Jan Mohammad Khan – politician in Afghanistan until his death in 2011
- Jansher Khan- champion squash player
- Javed Burki- Pakistani cricketer
- Josh Malihabadi- Indo-Pakistani poet
- Juma Khan Hamdard – politician in Afghanistan
K
- Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed – Pakistan Army Officer
- Karzais (family)
- Kader Khan – Indian actor and screenwriter
- Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan – politician in Pakistan
- Khan Muhammad Sarwar Khan Kakar – politician in Pakistan
- Khan Abdul Wali Khan – politician in Pakistan
- Khan Habibullah Khan (Marwat) – politician in Pakistan
- Khatir Afridi – Pashtun poet from Pakistan
- Khawas Khan Marwat – general of Sher Shah Suri
- Khushal Khan Khattak
- Kabir Stori – President of Pashtoon Social Democratic Party
- Kulsum Saifullah- late Pakistani businesswoman
L
- Lutfullah Mashal – politician in Afghanistan
M
- Mahmud Hotaki – Shah of Persia from 1722 to 1725 and the third ruler of the Hotaki dynasty
- Mahmud Tarzi – politician and pioneer of journalism in Afghanistan in the early 20th century
- Mahmud Shah Durrani – monarch of Afghanistan in the 18th century
- Mahmood Khan Achakzai – politician in Pakistan
- Madhubala, famous actress
- Majrooh Sultanpuri, famous poet and song lyricist
- Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi- Indian nobleman and cricket captain
- Malalai of Maiwand- Pashtun warrior lady and freedom fighter
- Malala Yousafzai – Nobel Peace Prize winner
- Maria Toorpakai Wazir- ace squash player from Pakistan
- Marina Khan- actress
- Malik Saad (Bangash) – IG Police (KPK) Pakistan
- Mansoor Aslam Khan Niazi (Sami Khan)
- Maulana Kausar Niazi – politician in Pakistan
- Maulana Mohammad Ali- Indian political leader
- Meraj Muhammad Khan-Pakistani politician
- Mian Badar Munir- actor/Pushtu filmstar
- Miangul Jahan Zeb – The last Wali of Swat
- Mir Afzal Khan- Pakistani politician and ex-CM of NWFP/KP
- Mirwais Ahmadzai – Afghan-Italian pop musician in Europe
- Mirwais Hotak – founder of the Afghan Hotaki dynasty in Kandahar
- Misbah Ul-Haq Khan Niazi – Pakistani cricketer
- Mohammad Akbar Barakzai – politician in Afghanistan
- Mohammad Akbar Khan- Afghan prince and warrior
- Mohammad Asef Rahimi (Bangash) – politician in Afghanistan
- Mohammad Ayub Khan – monarch of Afghanistan in the 19th century
- Mohammad Ashraf Naseri – politician in Afghanistan
- Mohammed Daoud Khan – President of Afghanistan from 1973 to 1978
- Mohammad Dawran – Commander of the Afghan Air Force
- Mohammad Gulab Mangal – politician in Afghanistan
- Muhammad Habib Khan Tarin , Nawab, Chieftain and cavalry officer
- Muhammad Azhar Jadoon- Pakistani politician
- Muhammad Khan Bangash – founder of Farrukhabad state in the early 18th century
- Mohammad Nadir Shah – King of Afghanistan from 1929 to 1933
- Mohammad Yaqub Khan – monarch of Afghanistan in the late 19th century
- Mohammed Najibullah- Afghan president
- Mohammed Omar – the late leader of the Taliban (Quetta Shura)
- Mohammad Yousuf Azraq – Afghan writer
- Mohammad Yunus- Indian diplomat
- Mufti Mahmood – Pakistani Islamic scholar and political activist
- Muhammad Muhsin Khan – Pakistani Islamic scholar
- Muhammad Essa – Pakistani soccer player
- Mohammad Ishaq Aloko – Attorney General of Afghanistan
- Mullah Powindah – former freedom fighter in Pakistan
- Muhammad Ali Khan Mohmand – politician in Pakistan
- Mohammed Zahir Shah – the last king of Afghanistan, who reigned for 40 years
- Musa Khan Ahmadzai – politician in Afghanistan
- Munir Niazi- noted Pakistani poet
- Muhammad Mahabat Khan III – last Nawab of Junagarh (defunct title)
N
- Naghma – Afghan musician
- Nashenas – Afghan musician
- Nawab Muhammad Ayaz Khan Jogezai – Pakistani Politician and Nawab of Pashtoon
- Farhad Darya Nasher Khan – singer and composer
- Gholam Nabi Nasher Khan – parliamentarian
- Gholam Serwar Nasher Khan – president of Spinzar Cotton Company
- Sher Khan Nasher Loe Khan (Grand Khan) – founder of Spinzar Cotton Company and founding father of Kunduz
- Naim Popal – Afghan musician
- Naseerullah Babar – retired general of Pakistan Army
- Naseer Ahmed Khan, Tribal chief and social activist of Baluchistan, Pakistan
- Naser Mestarihi – singer of Pakistani descent in Qatar
- Nasrullah Khan
- Natasha Khan – singer of Pakistani descent in UK (Bat for Lashes)
- Najib-ul-Daula – Nawab of Rohilla
- Nazo Tokhi, Afghan poetess and matriarch of Hotak dynasty
- Nazia Iqbal – Pakistani singer
- Noor Mohammad Taraki – former president of Afghanistan
- Niaz Ali Khan – crown prince of Afghanistan
O
- Omar Ayub Khan- politician in Pakistan
- Omar Zakhilwal – politician in Afghanistan
- Omer Tarin – English poet from Pakistan
P
- Pacha Khan Zadran – politician in Afghanistan
- Palay Khan – former freedom fighter in Pakistan
- Pareshan Khattak - Pakistani scholar and writer
- Parveen Babi - actress
- Pir Roshan - medieval tribal mullah and supposed Sufi
- Pervez Khattak - politician in Pakistan
Q
- Qalandar Momand – member of the Communist Party of Pakistan
- Qazi Hussain Ahmad – politician in Pakistan
- Qamar Zaman – former squash player from Pakistan
- Qavi Khan – Actor in Pakistan
R
- Rahim Shah – Pashtun singer from Pakistan
- Rahimullah Yusufzai- famous Pakistani journalist
- Rahimuddin Khan – retired general of Pakistan Army
- Rahman Baba – Pashtun poet from Peshawar, Pakistan
- Rahmat Shah Sail - Pashtun poet from Pakistan
- Rasool Sayyaf
- Reham Khan – Ex wife of Pakistani politician and former cricketer Imran Khan Niazi
- Roedad Khan – politician in Pakistan
- Roohul Amin – politician in Afghanistan
S
- Sahabzada Yaqub Khan- Pakistani army officer and diplomat
- Saif Ali Khan- actor of Bollywood, India
- Safwat Ghayur- Pakistani police officer and martyr
- Saleem Safi- Pakistani journalist
- Samar Minallah- Pakistani film-maker and women rights activist
- Sardar Bahadur Khan- Pakistani politician
- Sardar Mohammad Khan, Pakistani scholar of linguistics
- Shahid Afridi- Pakistani cricketer
- Shamim Bano- Indo-Pakistani actress
- Shah Shujah Durrani- (Sadozai), a former king of Afghanistan
- Shahryar Khan- ex-Pakistani Foreign Secretary and Chairman PCB
- Shakil Afridi- Pakistani medical doctor and CIA agent
- Shuja Khanzada- Pakistani ex-army colonel and politician
- Saleh Mohammed- snooker player
- Salim Khan – Indian actor and screenwriter
- Salim Saifullah Khan- Pakistani industrialist and politician
- Salman Khan – Indian actor
- Sania Nishtar- Pakistani medical doctor and health activist
- Shah Rukh Khan – Indian actor
- Shaukat Tarin- Pakistani banker
- Sher Shah Suri – Afghan King of India
- Sudhir (actor)- Pakistani actor, real name Shah Zaman Afridi
- Sultan Ahmed Khan Tarin, 'Comrade Sultan' , early Indo-Pakistani Communist
T
- Taj Mohammad Wardak – politician in Afghanistan
- Timur Shah Durrani – monarch of Afghanistan, the second ruler of the Durrani Empire
- Toryalai Wesa – politician in Afghanistan
U
- Umar Gul – Pakistani cricketer
- Umra Khan – So-called 'Napoleon of Pathans'
- Usman Khan – Young Hafiz of the Quran
Y
- Younis Khan – Pakistani cricketer
- Yousef Pashtun – politician in Afghanistan
- Y.Misdaq
- Yakub Khan Mehboob Khan- actor
- Yusuf Khattak- Pakistani politician
- Yousuf Ayub Khan, Pakistani businessman and politician
Z
- Zabihullah Mojaddidy – politician in Afghanistan
- Zalmay Khalilzad – United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Iraq and Afghanistan
- Zalmai Rassoul – Foreign Minister of Afghanistan
- Zaman Shah Durrani – monarch of Afghanistan
- Zahira Zahir – Afghan-American hairstylist and cosmetologist
- Zakir Hussain (politician)
- Zarsanga- Pakistani Pashtun folksinger
- Zeek Afridi- singer from Peshawar, Pakistan
- Zubair Ali Zai – Pakistani cleric
- Zareen Khan- actress
- Zari Sarfaraz- noted Pakistani lady activist and social worker
- Zeba Bakhtiar- Bollywood actress from Pakistan
- Zeb Bangash- singer
References
- ↑ History and Origin of Pashtuns Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine.