Pashto is a language spoken by at least 40 million people in Southern and Eastern Afghanistan and in the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan. Estimates of the number of Pashto speakers range from 40 million to 60 million, which should make it among the most widely spoken languages in the world. One source ranks it as number 20 in the world in the number of speakers of the language. Another source ranks it as number 35. However, most sources do not rank it at all. The language seems to be virtually unknown except among those in contact with it. This is at least in part due to the nature of the people who speak Pashto. At one time, Pashto was spoken primarily by desert tribal people. The Kuchi tribes, nomads who live out in the desert with their herds of sheep and camels, all speak Pashto. The Kuchis have little need for reading and writing and almost all are illiterate. As a result, there is little Pashto literature, except for songs and poetry. In Afghanistan, there are few if any books and newspapers in Pashto. In Pakistan, the situation is a bit better, but not much.

普什图语是一种古老的语言，多位西方语言学家的研究成果表明，这种语言是印度和伊朗诸语言间相互影响最早发生语变的典型，为历史比较语言学提供了有价值的佐证。普通语言学将普什图语划归在印欧语系伊朗语族。
普什图语是阿富汗和巴基斯坦普什图族的民族语言，也是阿富汗两个官方语言之一。目前世界上使用该语言的人口约3000多万，而在中国只有近百人掌握，是名副其实的“小语种”，多年来国内一直缺少普什图语的工具书。
《普什图语汉语词典》是全国第一次辞书编写出版规划项目，其编撰历时36年，几位编者筚路蓝缕，克服多种困难，持之以恒，不离不弃，以10万余张卡片的积累，成就了一部世界上规模最大的普什图语汉语词典。
本词典主要特点如下：
Ø收词精当，收录常用词目5万余条。以母语新词代替向波斯语、阿拉伯语等语言的借词。
Ø拼写规范，按照阿富汗近年的文字规范进行全面梳理，自创了以拉丁字母为普什图语注音的系统。
Ø编排独到，既符合中文从左向右的书写规则，也兼顾了普什图语从右向左的行文习惯。
Ø例证丰富，充分反映阿富汗文化，收录大量普什图民族的谚语、俗语和日常生活用例。
Ø附录实用，从普什图语亲属关系到阿富汗的阳历与公历对照表，多方位向中国读者介绍阿富汗的文化与习俗。
Ø装帧精美大气，制作工艺繁复，独具收藏价值