A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan on Friday evening, shaking several northern cities including Islamabad, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Swat, and Gilgit.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the earthquake’s epicentre was located in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region at a depth of 120 kilometres. The tremors were felt across parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and northern Punjab.
Residents in Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and surrounding areas reported strong shocks, though no immediate reports of damage or casualties were received. The PMD’s National Seismic Monitoring Centre confirmed the seismic activity, adding that the tremors were moderate but widely felt due to the quake’s depth.
This latest tremor follows a 5.5-magnitude earthquake that hit Islamabad and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa late last month. The region has experienced frequent seismic activity, lying along the collision zone of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
In September, Afghanistan endured a devastating 6.0-magnitude earthquake in its eastern provinces, which claimed more than 2,200 lives and injured thousands. The shockwaves from that quake were also felt across northern Pakistan, reaching as far as Lahore.
Earlier in June, Karachi experienced an unusual spike in tremors—over 50 recorded in a single month. Chief Meteorologist Aamir Haider attributed this to the reactivation of the Landhi Fault Line after decades, describing the phenomenon as part of a natural normalisation process.
