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

Earthquakes have frequently hit Afghanistan, Pakistan in recent years

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 to unveil 5G spectrum policy soon, IT minister says

Pakistan to unveil 5G spectrum policy soon, IT minister says
Updated 4 sec ago

Pakistan to unveil 5G spectrum policy soon, IT minister says

Pakistan to unveil 5G spectrum policy soon, IT minister says
  • Pakistan to auction over 600 MHz of spectrum to expand mobile services and introduce 5G
  • Government finalizing ‘Smartphones for All’ policy to boost digital access and affordability

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will soon announce its long-awaited 5G spectrum policy as part of efforts to accelerate digital access and connectivity across the country, the state media reported on Wednesday.

Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima told the 26th meeting of the South Asia Telecommunication Regulators Council in Islamabad that the country was planning to auction more than 600 MHz of spectrum.

“The government will soon unveil the 5G spectrum policy,” she said, according to Radio Pakistan, adding that the move would “not only improve current 3G and 4G services but also introduce 5G.”

The minister said a telecom infrastructure-sharing framework had been approved and new satellite communication regulations finalized, paving the way for satellite Internet services in Pakistan.

She said the government was committed to ensuring digital inclusion and was finalizing a “Smartphones for All” policy to make mobile devices more affordable and accessible.

Reflecting on Pakistan’s digital progress, Fatima said the country had reached 200 million mobile subscribers and 150 million mobile broadband users, with data traffic rising by 70 percent over the past five years.

She added that the telecom sector had recorded 17 percent year-on-year revenue growth.

E-commerce, she said, had reached nearly $7.7 billion and was expected to cross $10 billion next year.