The dominant language of the Province is Pashto, which belongs to the Irani branch of the Aryan family of languages. It has two main dialects: Pakhto and Pashto. Pakhto is the hard or north-eastern version of the language that is spoken in Bajaur, Swat, and Buner by the Yousufzai, Bangash, Orakzai, Afridi, and Momand tribes whereas Pashto is the soft or south-western version spoken by the Khattaks, Wazirs, Marwats, and other tribes in the south.
Hindko, (a Punjabi dialect) is spoken in the majority in Hazara Division and also in the central old city areas of Nowshera, Kohat, and Peshawar city. Whereas Saraiki (a Punjabi dialect) is in majority in the southern Districts of DI Khan and Tank.Khowar language is spoken by people in the north especially in the majority in district Chitral. Punjabi is spoken by minorities living in the major cities and all cantonment areas.
Kohistani, by a majority in Kohistan district and north half of Swat district and Gojri, by a minority throughout the northern half of the province. Dari/Hazaragi/Farsi/Tajik, varieties of Persian by Afghan refugees whereas other languages include Kashmiri, Shina, Romani, Burushaski, Wakhi, Balti, Balochi, Brahui, Sindhi, and English (official and used in tourism). Only Urdu and English are found as written languages in the city.
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