A 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted Islamabad, Lahore, and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Saturday.
The National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) stated that the earthquake struck at 6:35pm, with its epicentre located in Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region at a depth of 178 kilometres.
Meanwhile, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported the earthquake's magnitude at 6.0, saying it was centred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
Tremors were felt across a wide area, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Mianwali, Chakwal, Shangla, Buner, Mardan, Charsadda, Swat, Swabi, Malakand, Bajaur, Hangu, Lower Dir and Lower South Waziristan, as well as adjoining localities.
In Peshawar, the KP Assembly session was temporarily suspended for a few minutes after the tremors rattled the assembly building.
The quake was also felt in Athmuqam, the district headquarters of Neelum Valley in AJK. No immediate reports of casualties or damage were received.
People ran out of their doors in panic in Swat district, resident Daniyal Ahmad told Reuters.
"It was very huge here in Swat and it lasted for quite a long time," he said.
"People came out of their houses and women and children were seen crying in panic."
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.
