The quake had a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter scale and occurred at 10:48pm, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said.

The quake’s epicentre was 8km southeast of Rawalpindi with a depth of 17 kilometres.

There was a state of great fear in the twin cities and the severe earthquake lasted for several seconds, according to Aaj News correspondent.

Tremors were also felt in other areas, including Murree, Swat, Parypur, Peshawar, Abbottabad, and Malakand.

No reports of casualties or property damage were received.

Islamabad has a population of 2.4 million, according to the 2023 census. It added that the country’s population has crossed 240 million and the growth rate stands at 2.55 per cent.

In January, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Japan, causing two small tsunamis in the area but no damage was reported.