5.7-magnitude earthquake jolts Islamabad, parts of KP: PMD

Published April 27, 2026
This screengrab taken from USGS website shows the epicentre of the earthquake that struck the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region on April 27, 2026. — via USGS
This screengrab taken from USGS website shows the epicentre of the earthquake that struck the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region on April 27, 2026. — via USGS

Tremors were felt in Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday as an earthquake of 5.7 magnitude struck the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said.

In a statement, the PMD said the quake was recorded at 11:46am. It added that the epicentre was located near Afghanistan’s border with Tajikistan and had a depth of 170 kilometres.

According to PMD, jolts from the earthquake were felt in Islamabad, Swat, Shangla and Buner.

However, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the earthquake’s magnitude as 5.1 on the Richter scale, with its epicentre having a depth of 105.1km.

Residents of Islamabad and KP had last felt earthquake tremors on April 3, when an earthquake of 6.1 magnitude hit the Hindu Kush Region in Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, Balochistan also witnessed two quakes.

Pakistan falls on three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian — which create five seismic zones under the country. The intersection of multiple fault lines means that tectonic movements remain a frequent occurrence in the region.

Opinion

Editorial

Sustainable path?
13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

THE FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth ...
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...