Developments in Pakistan and Sri Lanka are worrying, with the crisis adding damage to two economies already in a tailspin, and putting the wider region on alert at a time when the crisis in Ukraine has given the international community plenty to worry about. Mr Imran Khan's four-year tenure as Pakistan's prime minister is at an end after the Supreme Court ruled that his government's moves to block a no-confidence vote against him, dissolve Parliament and call fresh elections, were unconstitutional. The former cricketing star-turned politician will now occupy the opposition benches. Lawmakers have elected a new leader - Mr Shehbaz Sharif, brother of former premier Nawaz Sharif. But it remains to be seen if he can hold office until October next year, when fresh polls are due.

Likewise, it appears that crisis-hit Sri Lanka is also under mounting pressure. The opposition rejected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's call to join a unity government - labelling it as "nonsensical", and has demanded fresh polls instead. With a fuel crisis, power outages, factory closures and food shortages testing the patience of citizens, the opposition sees the opportunity to oust a government populated with Mr Rajapaksa's family members and associates - although this could be more of an uphill task compared with Pakistan, where Mr Khan clearly lost the backing of the all-powerful military which had helped propel him into office.