PESHAWAR/MUZAFFARABAD: An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 jolted Islamabad and parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Friday night.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department's National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) reported that tremors were felt at 9:13 pm, registering a magnitude of 6.1 at a depth of 190 kilometres.
The epicentre was located in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, with the quake felt in multiple areas of northern Pakistan, including Islamabad, Chitral, Peshawar, Swat, and Shangla.
Residents across Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Taxila, and Hasan Abdal felt strong tremors, though no significant damage or casualties have been reported.
In Punjab, the quake was felt in Sargodha, Chakwal, Chiniot, Jhelum, Mianwali, Narowal, Bhakkar, Hafizabad, Khanewal, Multan, Mandi Bahauddin, and Kamalia.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa residents in Peshawar, Nowshera, Swat, Shangla, Lower Dir, Kohat, Malakand, Mardan, Hangu, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Upper Hazara, Buner, Bunno, Bajaur, Tank, and Charsadda reported tremors.
Gilgit-Baltistan also felt the quake in Gilgit, Skardu, and Diamer, while in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the tremors were reported in Muzaffarabad, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Samahni, and Hattian Bala — including Channari, Chikothi, Gujjar Bandi, and Lipa.
Strong tremors were also felt in Afghanistan's Kabul and India's capital New Delhi, according to Reuters witnesses.
Pakistan's susceptibility to earthquakes stems from its location along the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The country has experienced multiple devastating quakes in recent decades.
In February this year, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake rattled Islamabad, Swat, and Hunza, while the 2005 quake in Azad Kashmir killed over 73,000 people and left millions homeless. Balochistan also suffered in 2021, when a quake in Harnai killed at least 20 people and hampered rescue operations due to landslides.
Experts warn that the rugged terrain of Pakistan's earthquake-prone areas complicates relief efforts and makes preparedness critical.
