Former Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif’s hair transplant and his newly acquired spoken English skills continue to be the talk of the town. Media profiles of the PML-N chief mention the hairdo he acquired when he was in exile.

“Dyeing your hair is bad enough, but attaching hair to your head? Why, it shows nothing but that one has a very low opinion of oneself,” wrote columnist Kamran Shafi.

The Khaleej Times said: “The formerly-balding Sharif returned to Pakistan — with a full head of hair after a transplant.”

Many also say he managed to kick off his “Punjabi English” so the new-look Sharif not just looks smart, but also speaks smart. “...he went through a makeover during his exile in Jeddah and London — polishing his English, acquiring a hair transplant and a wardrobe of Saville Row tweed jackets...” a report in the Guardian newspaper said.

Mighty bite

Sharif’s legendary love for food is also the subject of drawing room conversations. A Pakistani journalist who flew down to London to interview Sharif said: “I wanted to talk about serious issues, his election plans and his return to Pakistan, and he was genuinely worrying about what I would want to eat — kebabs, nihari... “

“I couldn’t believe it. But he does take his food seriously,” the journalist said.

Sharif offers Kashmiri tea or “noon chai” (tea with salt) to visitors at his posh Model Town residence in Lahore along with roasted Kashmiri almonds.