Question: are pathans and pashtuns the same?
Answer: The name Pakhtuns, Pashtuns, Pathans and Afghans are the alternative name of the same group of people. Even in today's Afghanistan the non Pashtun people call pashtuns “Afghans”. ... Pashtuns in Pakistan speak their native language Pashto and also most of them are fluent in Urdu which is the national language of Pakistan.