- No immediate reports of casualties or damage.
- In KP, tremors were felt in Malakand, Lower Dir, Swat.
- Buner, Shangla and Swabi also experienced an earthquake.
A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab on Friday, with tremors felt in several cities, including Peshawar and Islamabad.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region, at a depth of 73 kilometers, the seismological center said.
No immediate reports of casualties or damage have been received so far.
In KP, tremors were also felt in Malakand and Lower Dir, while people in Hangu, Kohat, Bajaur and Swat were also affected by the earthquake.
Tremors were also felt in Buner, Shangla and North Waziristan, Swabi and Upper Dir.
Pakistan’s vulnerability to earthquakes stems from its geographic location, on the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The country has experienced several devastating earthquakes in recent decades.
On January 19, 2025, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake shook Islamabad, Swat and Hunza, while the 2005 earthquake in Azad Kashmir killed over 73,000 people and left millions homeless. Balochistan also suffered in 2021, when an earthquake 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. The recent tremors in KP and Punjab are a reminder of the persistent seismic threat in the region.
