ISLAMABAD: A magnitude 6.4 earthquake rattled much of Pakistan and parts of neighboring Afghanistan on Thursday, sending panicked residents fleeing from homes and offices and frightening people in remote villages, Pakistani officials and the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The epicenter of the quake was in the Hindu Kuch mountain range in Afghanistan, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
The epicenter was 45 kilometers (27.9 miles) from Jurm village in northeastern Afghanistan and was centered at a depth of 206 kilometers (128 miles), the U.S.G.S. said.
There were no immediate reports of damage in either country.
The temblor was felt in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, and in the major cities of Lahore, Peshawar and Muzaffarabad in the Pakistan-administered, disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which is divided between Pakistan and India and claimed by both in its entirety.
Sahiba Bibi, a woman who lives on the outskirts of Islamabad, said she was preparing for prayers when she suddenly felt the ground shaking.
“We quickly came out of our home and we saw some other people also standing outside their houses,” she said.
Residents in the northwestern city of Peshawar also said they went out of their homes and offices after feeling the earthquake.
“I knew that it should not be less than magnitude 6 when I felt the earthquake as we have felt strong earthquakes in the past,” said Mohammad Khan, 65, in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.
Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for Pakistan’s emergency services in the northwest, told The Associated Press that police and rescue officials were ordered to alert the emergency services about any damage caused by the earthquake.
“So far, there has been no reported damage from the earthquake, though the earthquake was so strong that it terrified many people who came out of their offices and houses in Peshawar and elsewhere in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province,” he said.
Authorities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir said the earthquake caused no damage, but some panicked people came out of their homes and offices protectively.
Pakistan and the region, which sits along an active continental plate boundary, are often hit by earthquakes.
A magnitude 7.6 quake in 2005 killed thousands of people in Pakistan and Kashmir.
Magnitude 6.4 earthquake rattles much of Pakistan, parts of Afghanistan
https://arab.news/9z73y
Magnitude 6.4 earthquake rattles much of Pakistan, parts of Afghanistan
- Quake's epicenter was in the Hindu Kush mountain range in Afghanistan
- There were no immediate reports of damage in either Afghanistan or Pakistan
Pakistan urges pilgrims to complete Saudi biometrics as Hajj preparations gain pace
- Government warns pilgrims biometric verification is required for Hajj visas
- Step follows tighter oversight after last year’s Hajj travel disruptions
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government on Friday urged aspiring pilgrims to complete mandatory Saudi biometric verification for Hajj visas, as preparations for the 2026 pilgrimage gather pace following stricter oversight of the Hajj process.
The announcement comes only a day after Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf said regulations for private Hajj operators had been tightened, reducing their quota following widespread complaints last year, when tens of thousands of pilgrims were unable to travel under the private Hajj scheme.
“Saudi biometric verification is mandatory for the issuance of Hajj visas,” the Ministry of Religious Affairs said in a statement, urging pilgrims to complete the process promptly to avoid delays.
“Hajj pilgrims should complete their biometric verification at home using the ‘Saudi Visa Bio’ app as soon as possible,” it added.
The statement said the pilgrims who were unable to complete biometric verification through the mobile application should visit designated Saudi Tasheer centers before Feb. 8, adding that details of the centers were available on Pakistan’s official Hajj mobile application.
Pakistan has been steadily implementing digital and procedural requirements for pilgrims ahead of Hajj 2026, including mandatory training sessions, biometric checks and greater use of mobile applications, as part of efforts to reduce mismanagement.
Saudi Arabia has allocated Pakistan a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2026, with the majority of seats reserved under the government scheme and the remainder allocated to private tour operators.
