Alright a lot of misinformation going on here, so let me set the record straight:
- Pakhtun, Pashtun, Afghan: All the same and proper names for the ethnic group.
- Pathan: A British/Hindustani word for Pakhtuns. While there are many ethnic Pakhtuns settled throughout east of Abasin (Indus) only a few (Rohillas) can claim true Pakhtun background. Sometimes Indians/Pakistanis claim to be Khan/Pathan as a caste! Need I remind them that there is NO castes in the Pakhtun tribal confederation. Pakhtuns are probably the largest super tribe in the world with many off-shoots.
Khan: This is a central asian term. Since Pakhtuns are Eastern Iranian peoples, there is some overlap in terms of Khan as the last name, but there are plenty of Turkic/Iranian Khans in central asia as well. It is pure ignorance on the part of many Pakistanisto assume that Khan's are automatically Pakhtuns.
Personally, I doubt people who call themselves "Pathans," why would you use a term given by the colonial Brits and confused hindostanis?
Listen man, it's not their fault they didn't grow up on naswaar.