A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab on Friday, with tremors felt in several cities, including Peshawar and Islamabad.
According to the seismological centre, the earthquake’s epicentre was located in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region at a depth of 73 kilometres. No immediate reports of casualties or property damage have been received.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, tremors were reported in Malakand and Lower Dir, as well as in Hangu, Kohat, Bajaur, and Swat. Residents of Buner, Shangla, North Waziristan, Swabi, and Upper Dir also felt the shaking.
Pakistan is prone to earthquakes because it lies along the boundary between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The country has experienced several major earthquakes in recent decades.
On January 19, 2025, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake shook Islamabad, Swat, and Hunza. The 2005 earthquake in Azad Kashmir remains one of the deadliest in the country’s history, claiming more than 73,000 lives and leaving millions homeless. In 2021, an earthquake in Harnai, Balochistan, killed at least 20 people and complicated rescue operations due to landslides.
Experts say that the mountainous terrain in many earthquake-prone areas makes rescue and relief operations more difficult, highlighting the importance of preparedness. The recent tremors once again underline the ongoing seismic risk in the region.
