Opposition leader Imran Khan is demanding fresh polls to steer Pakistan out of a protracted political crisis. But holding general elections is a costly affair, and the South Asian country's coffers are empty.

On International Women's Day, the United Nations mission in Kabul condemned the suppression of women under the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, calling it the "world's most repressive country."

Since the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan in August 2021, thousands of Afghan families have found refuge in neighbouring Pakistan. Many Afghans decided to flee their country in order for their daughters to have an education, the Taliban having imposed a ban on secondary and higher education for girls. Pakistan does not offer real prospects of integration or employment to refugees.

A governor and two other people were killed in a blast in Afghanistan. No group has yet claimed the attack, but the country has been hit by multiple attacks by "Islamic State" militants since the Taliban takeover.

Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan confronted police outside his home in Lahore. Authorities have tried to arrest Khan, who has been entangled in a string of legal cases.

Lahore's air pollution rose to PM2. 5 levels of 97.4 micrograms per cubic meter from 86.5 in 2021, replacing Bhiwadi in Indiaas the most polluted city globally. Bhiwadi and Delhi were next in the rankings, ,with pollution levels reaching up to 92.7 and 92.6 respectively.

The ruling means Khan can now travel to Islamabad without being detained to face corruption charges. The former cricketer-turned-politician has been holed up in Lahore as his supporters clashed with police.

With the Taliban banning girls from secondary schools and universities, we meet the Afghan families who risked everything by fleeing to neighbouring Pakistan to ensure their daughters receive an education. We also visit the Kenyan village which bans men as it offers a refuge to women and girls facing gender-based violence.

India and Pakistan traditionally have hostile relations, but there is hope on one front, at least. In order to enable the Sikhs from India to make a pilgrimage to one of their holiest shrines, a "peace corridor" has been opened between the two countries.

Matiullah Wesa, the founder of an Afghan girls' education project, was arrested in Kabul by Taliban authorities, according to the UN mission to Afghanistan.

Pakistan's exclusion from the EU's list of "high-risk third countries" is likely to boost exports to the bloc and reduce the legal and financial costs of business with the EU.

More and more children are found to be HIV-positive in northwest Pakistan. Officials attribute the trend to mandatory pre-surgery testing and growing public awareness.