5.9-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Islamabad, KP; Assembly Session Briefly Suspended Amid Panic

ISLAMABAD: A 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab on Saturday, triggering panic among residents and briefly disrupting proceedings in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

The tremors struck during the provincial assembly’s budget session in Peshawar, prompting lawmakers to leave their seats as panic spread through the chamber. The Deputy Speaker suspended the session for five minutes as a precaution.

According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, the earthquake originated in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. It measured 5.9 on the Richter scale and occurred at a depth of 178 kilometers.

Strong tremors were felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Mansehra, Shangla, Swat, Chakwal, and several other cities. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the earthquake was experienced in Peshawar, Bajaur, Charsadda, Lower Dir, Swabi, Takht Bhai, Pabbi, Kohat, Swat, and surrounding areas.

Residents rushed out of homes, offices, and shops into open spaces as buildings shook, with many reciting prayers amid fears of aftershocks.

Authorities said no casualties or property damage had been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Islamabad, or other affected areas.

The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed that tremors were also felt in Lahore, Faisalabad, Attock, Mianwali, Multan, the Potohar region, and several other districts. The authority said local administrations had begun inspecting buildings as a precaution.

A PDMA spokesperson stated that the Provincial Control Room and District Emergency Operation Centers remain operational around the clock, urging citizens to report any earthquake-related damage through the PDMA helpline 1129.