Justin Trudeau's 'lost twin' Abdul Salam Maftoon finds fame in Afghan talent show

Abdul Salam Maftoon’s appearance has turned him into an unlikely celebrity in his home country with some fans believing the two men were “separated at birth”.

Although the Afghan Star contestant had never heard of his doppelganger until a judge pointed out his striking likeness to the world leader, he now believes it has boosted his chances of winning.

“People have forgotten my name and now they just call me ‘Justin Trudeau’,” said the singer from the impoverished northeastern province of Badakhshan. “I didn’t know anything about Justin Trudeau until I saw the photos on social media.

“The resemblance has boosted my chances of winning the competition by 50%.”

Composite photos of Maftoon, 29, who is slightly built with a long face and dark brown hair and eyes, and 47-year-old Mr Trudeau – widely rated as one of the best looking leaders in the world – have drawn scores of comments on social media.

“Trudeau’s lost twin,” wrote one Facebook user, while another added: “I think their story is like a Bollywood movie – they were separated at birth and he found his lost twin brother.”

A third said: “This is truly the copy of Trudeau. I’d love to see our Trudeau win this year’s Afghan Star.”

Maftoon’s performances – and appearance – have impressed viewers, with him taking on romantic folk songs in both of Afghanistan’s official languages, Dari and Pashto.

Talent show judge Qais Ulfat, an Afghan-born Canadian musician, was one of the first to notice the resemblance.

“He looks like my prime minister,” he said. “His voice is very satisfying. He has that God-gifted vocal ability.

“This guy could be the next Justin Bieber.”

As Maftoon looks to the show’s final on 21 March, he remains hopeful of one day meeting the Canadian leader.

He said: “I want to meet him if he wants to because he is a global personality and I am a poor man from a remote part of Afghanistan.

“We will see what happens.”

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