Earthquakes have frequently hit Afghanistan, Pakistan in recent years

Over 1,100 people died, thousands were injured in magnitude 6 earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on Sunday
Short Url
Updated 02 September 2025
Follow

Earthquakes have frequently hit Afghanistan, Pakistan in recent years

  • Over 1,100 people died, thousands were injured in magnitude 6 earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on Sunday
  • The Afghanistan-Pakistan region, suffers frequent earthquakes as it lies at intersection of Indian, Eurasian tectonic plates

More than 1,100 people died and thousands were injured after an earthquake of magnitude 6 struck the rugged eastern region of Afghanistan, the latest such event following an increase in seismic activity.

Here are previous similar disasters of recent years in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, which lies at the intersection of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.

2025

  • A magnitude 5.6 quake hit Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region on August 27.
  • A magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region on August 19, at a depth of 186 km (115 miles).
  • A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck central Pakistan on June 29, with its epicenter at a depth of 149 km (93 miles).
  • A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Pakistan on May 10, the European Mediterranean Seismological Center said.
  • Quakes of magnitude 5.6 and 5.8 hit the Hindu Kush and Afghanistan-Tajikistan border regions, on April 16 and 19, respectively.
  • A magnitude 5 earthquake struck Pakistan on April 12, at a depth of 39 km (25 miles).
  • Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi has been hit by several moderate or minor tremors in March and June.

2024

  • A magnitude 5.5 earthquake hit the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan on October 17.
  • An earthquake of magnitude 5.75 struck Pakistan at a depth of 10 km (6 miles) on September 11.
  • Earthquakes of magnitude 5.5 and 5.8 struck Pakistan between March 19 and March 20.
  • An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 hit northwestern Kashmir on February 19.
  • A magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan on January 11.
  • A magnitude 5 earthquake hit the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region on January 5.

2023

  • An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 hit the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region on November 15.
  • At least four earthquakes hit Afghanistan between October 7 and 15, the two deadliest in the western province of Herat, killing about 1,000 people and destroying entire villages.
  • On August 6, an earthquake of magnitude 5.1 hit the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border.
  • Earthquakes of magnitude 5.6 and 5.7 hit the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan on May 3 and on August 5, respectively.
  • An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 hit northern Afghanistan in late March, killing at least 13.
  • A magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan on January 5.

2022

  • An earthquake of magnitude 4.3 hit southeastern Afghanistan on December 16.
  • Over September 5 and 6, at least two earthquakes struck Afghanistan, with one killing at least eight.
  • A magnitude 5.6 quake struck Pakistan’s southwestern region on August 1.
  • A magnitude 6 earthquake in Afghanistan killed more than 1,000 people in June.
  • A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan on February 5.
  • An earthquake of magnitude 5.6, at a depth of 30 km (19 miles), hit western Afghanistan on January 17.

2021

  • At least 15 people were killed after an earthquake struck southern Pakistan on October 7.
  • A magnitude 4.6 earthquake, at a depth of 17.6 km (11 miles), shook Afghanistan on May 19.

Pakistan launches crypto testing framework to regulate digital assets

Updated 59 min 23 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan launches crypto testing framework to regulate digital assets

  • Regulatory ‘sandbox’ to let firms test crypto products under supervision
  • Move comes amid broader push to formalize Pakistan’s digital asset sector

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) on Friday launched a crypto testing framework to regulate digital assets, allowing firms to trial new products and services under official supervision.

The initiative, formally structured as a regulatory “sandbox,” creates a controlled environment where companies can test crypto-related services under the oversight of the regulator before full-scale approval.

According to PVARA, the sandbox will support real-world use cases including tokenization, stablecoins, remittances and on- and off-ramp infrastructure.

Tokenization refers to converting real-world assets into digital tokens on a blockchain, while stablecoins are cryptocurrencies pegged to a fiat currency to maintain a stable value. On- and off-ramp infrastructure allows users to convert between fiat money and digital assets, enabling the practical use of virtual asset products.
“The Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority has formally approved and launched its Regulatory Sandbox for virtual assets,” PVARA said in a post on X. “Sandbox Guidelines and the application process will be published shortly on our website.”

 

 

The move comes as the government seeks to build a formal regulatory framework for digital assets while attracting investment and strengthening oversight of the sector.

Pakistan has stepped up efforts recently to regulate its digital asset sector and is exploring digital currency initiatives as part of broader measures to reduce cash usage.

In January, Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding with a company affiliated with World Liberty Financial, a crypto-based finance platform launched in September 2024 and linked to US President Donald Trump’s family to explore the use of a dollar-linked stablecoin for cross-border payments.