Hindkowans (Urdu: ) are an ethno-linguistic subgroup of Punjabi people native to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pothohar Plateau and Azad Kashmir regions. Hindkowans have mixed origins and almost all speak the Hindko dialect of Punjabi. They were originally settled in the northern regions of Pakistan primarily concentrated near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. At present, Hindkowans mainly inhabit Peshawar,  Nowshera, Swabi, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur and Attock. Those who live in Afghanistan are known as Hindkis. Most of the Tribes residing in Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa such as; Tareen, Tanoli, Jadoon, Tahirkheli, Dilazak, Mashwani, Swatis  and Utmanzais, despite having Pashtun descent, speak Hindko and constitute an integral part of Hindkowans. Those who resides in urban centers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan such as: Peshawar, Kohat, Nowshera and Swabi are alternatively termed as "Kharian/Kharay" or city-dweller. Some Hindkowans have left the region and now live in other parts of South Asia, such as; Indian-controlled Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistani-controlled Azad Kashmir.Gohar Ayub Khan (former speaker of Pakistan National Assembly) says:

"Speaking Hindko doesn't mean that the ethnic identity of Hazara Pakhtuns (Hindkowans) has changed. Many of them (Hindko Speakers) are Pakhtuns and demanding their separate province on administrative grounds."