A 5.3-magnitude earthquake shook Islamabad, Lahore, and several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa late Tuesday night, causing panic among residents.
The National Seismic Monitoring Centre reported the quake at a depth of 174 kilometres. Its epicenter was located in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region.
Tremors were felt across Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Lower Dir, Malakand, Bajaur, Chitral, Mansehra, Abbottabad, and Haripur.
Parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including Muzaffarabad, Samahni, and Bhimber, also experienced the shaking. Reports also mentioned tremors in Faisalabad, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Zafarwal, and Sarai Alamgir.
People evacuated homes, offices, and markets as the ground shook. Many were seen reciting verses from the Holy Quran. No immediate casualties or major damage have been reported by authorities.
The United States Geological Survey separately recorded a 5.5-magnitude quake in Jurm, Afghanistan, at a depth of 216.7 kilometres around the same time.
This quake comes less than a week after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit Islamabad, Punjab, and KP on June 27. That tremor was also centered in the Hindu Kush at a depth of 178 kilometres.
Pakistan is highly prone to earthquakes because it sits on the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The country has faced major disasters before, including the 2005 Azad Kashmir quake that killed over 73,000 people.
Experts warn that the mountainous terrain in these regions makes rescue operations difficult. They stress the need for public awareness and preparedness.
Officials advise citizens to stay calm, follow safety guidelines during aftershocks, and rely only on verified updates from the PMD and NDM
