Strong Earthquake Shakes Northern Pakistan, No Damage Reported
By Sadia Khan :
A strong earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale was felt across large parts of northern Pakistan on Friday night, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and several areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
The National Seismic Monitoring Centre said the tremor struck at 9:13pm at a depth of around 190 kilometres, with its epicentre located in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. The earthquake was felt in a number of cities including Islamabad, Chitral, Peshawar, Swat and Shangla, as well as multiple districts across Punjab.
Despite the widespread tremors, authorities said there were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage in the federal capital, Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the time of reporting.
The German Research Centre for Geosciences recorded the earthquake at a slightly lower magnitude of 5.9 using the Moment Magnitude scale, estimating its depth at around 177 kilometres in the Hindu Kush region.
The shaking prompted precautionary measures in Islamabad, where police were instructed to assess conditions across the capital. Inspector General of Police Ali Nasir Rizvi directed officers to monitor their respective areas and respond quickly to any emergencies while submitting situation reports.
Emergency services also confirmed there had been no distress calls following the tremor. Rescue 1122 officials in Rawalpindi said they had not received any reports of injuries or property damage.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi said the earthquake had been felt across several districts, including Peshawar, but no incidents had been reported to the control room.
Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority said tremors were recorded in cities including Lahore, Faisalabad, Jhang, Mianwali, Rawalpindi and Sargodha, as well as the wider Potohar region. Officials said inspections of public and government buildings were under way to ensure there was no structural damage.
Emergency operation centres across the province remain on alert around the clock, while authorities have advised the public to report any earthquake-related incidents through the PDMA helpline.
Seismic activity in the wider region is relatively common due to the Hindu Kush mountain range, which frequently generates deep earthquakes that are felt across Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Central Asia. Earlier the same day, the German Research Centre for Geosciences reported a separate earthquake of magnitude 5.5 near the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border.
Pakistan has experienced several tremors in recent months, including a magnitude 4.5 earthquake in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district last month and a 5.6 magnitude quake in the Hindu Kush region in February that was felt across northern parts of the country.
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