His job is to make sure that trains run on time, stations are kept clean and passengers have a hassle-free journey.

For thousands of London commuters he’s just one of the many staff managing their daily commute.

But Mr Nangarharay is no ordinary worker – in fact he’s a singing sensation in his home country, Afghanistan.

His lyrics inspire many Afghans. His words – his fans say – offer hope to a country destroyed by 30 years of war. His music encourages fellow Afghans not to lose faith. And his message is a personal one.

Mr Nangarharay fled the Taliban 10 years ago and settled in London.

The 28-year-old says that he too is a child of war and understands exactly how his countrymen feel.

He says that his country’s history is what inspires his songs.

“Like everyone else, I left my country and lost family members, so I sing the song. I hate anyone who destroys or kills Afghans, so I urge those who are misled and carry out suicide attacks and kill school children, that this is not the time to pull the trigger,” he said.

The ballads of Mr Nangarharay depict Afghanistan’s violent past and present.

His latest number – Afghanistan – regularly features on Afghan television and radio channels.

“This song motivates me to hate those who kill with guns,” says one Kabul man, Mohammad Gul. “People are sick and tired of war.”

Mr Nangarharay says the lyrics of the new song aims to encourage fellow Afghans to move away from the path of violence and strive for a future filled with peace and prosperity.

“I ask those who blow up schools, kill people and carry out attacks to not let people misled them. Don’t kill, don’t kill your brothers,” the singer says.

Musical bond

It is no coincidence that Mr Nangarharay’s songs have witnessed high sales in a country where entertainment is largely restricted to Bollywood films and songs.

Music was a key part of Afghan cultural identity and played a crucial role in keeping the ethnically diverse country together until the Taliban took control in the 1990s and banned all forms of it.

Because of his music, Mr Nangarharay has now become one of the most watched, listened to and spoken of figures in Afghanistan – and among millions of Afghans scattered around the world.

About 3,000 people attended his concert in Australia recently – a sign of his growing popularity outside Afghanistan.

One of Mr Nangarharay’s songs was written by leading Pashto poet, Babarzai, after a controversial US bombing in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

An Afghan government investigation at the time concluded that 45 women and children and two men had been killed when the US bombed a wedding party in the village of Deh Bala.

“Where there is a wedding procession, or a funeral is taking place – it is no time for pulling the trigger,” Babarzai wrote in the song.

For Babarzai, the song represents Afghanistan’s sad affiliation with war.

“War is a sad reality of our life. My message is for peace. In the song, I ask for all bombs – roadside, plane, suicide – and those who pull the trigger, to stop,” says Babarzai with tears in his eyes.

“People love Mr Nangarharay because he sings with so much passion, dedication and energy,” says Babarzai, who is also head of cultural and musical programmes at Shamshad TV.

This analsysis is endorsed by Kabul fruit seller Mohammad Musafir, who listens to Latif Nangarharay’s song on the radio.

“I like his song. He has a message for peace. People like music and will listen to him. You need to bring peace with nice words not with guns and tanks,” he said.

Pashto poetry is an integral part of Afghan society. Every year there are hundreds of poetry contests across the south, east and south-east of the country.

Poets at these meets castigate corruption, the lack of reconstruction, civilian casualties caused by the international forces, killings by the Taliban and others – and urge people to stop the violence.

According to Latif Nangarharay, his music is addressed to Afghans killing their own.

“My message to them is not to kill children, their countrymen and don’t attack our cities and markets with bombs. These young people are misled.”

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Lyrics to Afghanistan

Latif Nangarharay’s song, Afghanistan, has been a hit inside and outside the country. The lyrics were written by the Pashto poet Babarzai, who says the song represents Afghanistan’s sad affiliation with war.

Afghanistan is not meant to be destroyed
No-one is meant to be killed here
This town of mine is full of the impoverished people
It is not meant to be hit by bombs
Where there is wedding procession, and funeral taking place
It is not time for pulling the trigger
Afghanistan is not meant to be destroyed
No-one is meant to be killed here

People as ugly as the smoke of the war
As undignified as their weapons
Don’t bring fire to the beauty of my city
Don’t bring further external wars here
Don’t let my sisters become brotherless
And don’t become homeless like yesterday

Afghanistan is not meant to be destroyed
No-one is meant to be killed here

Don’t let my fields become ugly
Or the tip of our raised turbans fall down again
Don’t let the cries come to our streets again
And my meadows catch fire again
Let’s make a united Afghanistan
So that we don’t burn in our own fire

Afghanistan is not meant to be destroyed
No-one is meant to be killed here

——Allah———-

May it not happen, it goes away
May not the old beauty go away from Kabul
May not these beauties become ugly
And cities and villages get separated from each other
They died of thirst even though there were rivers
And we lose our copper mountains

Afghanistan is not meant to be destroyed
No-one is meant to be killed here

Listen young man, how could you possibly pull the trigger?
We are destroying our grandfather’s house
How could the sword not break in your hand?
While destroying the Paktia turban (Paktia pride)
For God’s sake recognise your brothers
Call Afghanistan your holy land

Afghanistan is not meant to be destroyed
No-one is meant to be killed here
Don’t bring fire to the beauty of my city
Don’t bring further external wars here
Don’t let my sisters become brotherless
And don’t become homeless like yesterday