Pakistan expands ban on plastic bags as inspectors are caught in shop spat

Punjab joins regions where polythene bags are illegal and stiff fines take effect in Islamabad amid demands for alternatives

Punjab has become the latest region in Pakistan to ban plastic bags, as the country battles to reduce single-use plastics that are damaging the environment.

So far there is no date for implementation in Pakistan's most populous state. The south-eastern province of Sindh has announced it will ban polythene bags from October, and last week a ban took effect in Islamabad.