Afghanistan, Pakistan have been hit by a spate of quakes in recent years

In this photo released by a set-run news agency Bakhtar, Afghans look at destruction caused by an earthquake in the province of Paktika, eastern Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (Bakhtar News Agency via AP/File)
Short Url
Updated 03 November 2025
Follow

Afghanistan, Pakistan have been hit by a spate of quakes in recent years

  • A 6.3-magnitude earthquake strikes near Mazar-e-Sharif city in Afghanistan, killing 7 and injuring about 150 people 
  • Afghanistan-Pakistan region, which experiences frequent quakes, lies at intersection of Indian, Eurasian tectonic plates

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif early on Monday, killing at least seven people and injuring about 150, just months after a quake and strong aftershocks killed more than 2,200 people at the end of August.

Here are some recent quakes in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region which lies at the intersection of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.

2025

A magnitude 6.2 quake struck southeastern Afghanistan just before midnight on August 31. It was followed by a series of strong aftershocks over the next week, killing more than 2,200 people and injuring thousands.

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck central Pakistan on June 29.

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.

Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi was 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 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.
Around 1,000 people died as multiple earthquakes rattled Afghanistan in October.

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, killing at least eight people.

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 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 shook Afghanistan on May 19.


UNESCO lists Pakistan’s ancient Bareendo instrument as endangered cultural heritage

Updated 9 sec ago
Follow

UNESCO lists Pakistan’s ancient Bareendo instrument as endangered cultural heritage

  • 5,000-year-old Sindhi clay wind instrument placed on UNESCO urgent safeguarding list
  • Only two known practitioners remain as Pakistan launches four-year preservation plan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s 5,000-year-old folk instrument Bareendo has been added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list for urgent safeguarding, the UN agency said this week, placing it among cultural traditions considered at immediate risk of disappearing.

Believed to originate in the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, the clay wind instrument is the oldest known surviving musical form in the southern Sindh province. Its soft, breath-driven tones have accompanied Sufi devotional gatherings, winter festivals and village ceremonies for generations, forming a core part of Sindh’s musical and spiritual identity.

The inscription was approved at the 20th Session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage, which documents vulnerable cultural practices globally, from oral folklore to craftsmanship, to ensure they are preserved and passed on.

UNESCO announced the listing on X on Tuesday:

“New inscription on the Urgent Safeguarding List of Intangible Heritage: Boreendo, Bhorindo: ancient dying folk musical instrument, its melodies, knowledge, and skills.”

Pakistan’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Ambassador Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, welcomed the move, calling it the recognition of a tradition preserved through centuries of community transmission.

“Bareendo is not only an emblem of the Indus Valley’s cultural continuity but also a living expression of Sindh’s artistic and spiritual heritage,” she was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s Embassy in France. 

“This recognition by UNESCO reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to the protection and promotion of our diverse cultural traditions.”

Only two people are believed to retain full mastery of Bareendo today, musician Ustaad Faqeer Zulfiqar and master potter Allah Jurio, underscoring why the nomination was marked urgent, the embassy said. 

The nomination followed an intensive consultation process between the Sindh government, Pakistan’s Mission to UNESCO and UNESCO headquarters in Keti Mir Muhammad Loond village and led to a four-year safeguarding strategy (2026–2029). Planned measures include a community music school, integration into formal and informal education and digital archiving to open access beyond Sindh’s rural belt.

With this recognition, Bareendo joins existing UNESCO-listed intangible traditions like Suri Jagek (the astronomical knowledge of the Kalash people), Falconry, and Nowruz, the regional spring new year.