[6] To add to the naming confusion Afghan émigrés in Dubai and Istanbul marketed this dish as Bukhari rice, again hinting at a possible origin within the Afghanistan and Uzbekistan border region.

As bukhari rice dishes have gained popularity in the Gulf region, those local preparations often differ greatly from authentic Qabeli palaw.

[9] Palaw dishes form a specific and longstanding tradition of rice preparation in Afghanistan, likely dating back as far as Bactrian times.

[10] In terms of etymology palaw constitutes the classical pronunciation of Persian پلاو [pʰaˈlaw] wherein the sharp diphthong "aw" or /äw/ is preserved.

[11] Pulao (Hindustani: [pəlaʊ]) instead refers to a distinct subgroup of pilaf as made on the Indian subcontinent[12] and reflects a differing pronunciation as shaped by local language.