Early Morning Earthquake Jolt Parts of Pakistan

News Desk

Islamabad: An earthquake struck parts of northern Pakistan in the early hours of Friday, with tremors felt at 2:03 am, according to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) in Islamabad.

Residents in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Charsadda, Karak, and Gujranwala reported feeling the tremors. The jolts were noticeable across various localities in the federal capital, as authorities continue to monitor the situation.

The earthquake coincided with heavy rainfall in parts of Islamabad, while Murree experienced showers accompanied by thunder and lightning, intensifying the overnight weather disturbance across the region.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed that its Emergency Operations Centre is in contact with district administrations across KP. The PDMA has urged citizens to call its emergency helpline 1700 in case of any incident.

Friday’s quake is the latest in a series of tremors that have struck northern Pakistan in recent months, many originating from the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan.

On June 11, a 4.7-magnitude earthquake hit Peshawar, while a 5.3-magnitude quake jolted Islamabad and several KP districts including Mardan, Swat, Nowshera, Swabi, and North Waziristan — in May.

In April, two more quakes were recorded: a 5.5-magnitude tremor on April 12 and a 5.3-magnitude event on April 16, affecting parts of KP, Punjab, Azad Kashmir, and the federal capital.

Pakistan lies on a major fault line between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it prone to seismic activity, especially in the northern region.

Meanwhile, Karachi has experienced an unusual uptick in seismic activity this year, with over 30 mild tremors reported in recent days. Experts attribute this to tectonic movement along the long-dormant Landhi Fault Line.