Earthquake Strikes Northern Pakistan, Triggering Panic

On Saturday afternoon, powerful earthquake tremors shook multiple cities and districts in northern Pakistan, causing widespread alarm. Residents hurriedly evacuated homes and workplaces, though no casualties or significant damage have been reported yet.

The Seismological Center confirmed that the quake impacted several areas, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and parts of Islamabad. Strong tremors were reported in Chitral, Upper Dir, Swat, Nowshera, Malakand, Mardan, Mansehra, Battagram, and Torghar. Nearby regions such as Charsadda also experienced the shocks, while Gilgit and surrounding areas felt intense shaking.

In Islamabad, many people left buildings as a precautionary measure. Emergency teams and local authorities remain on high alert, with assessment crews deployed to affected zones. Experts advise residents to stay calm but vigilant due to ongoing seismic activity in the region.

ISLAMABAD – Starting April 9 (Wednesday), the Swedish Migration Agency will reopen its residence and work permit services in Pakistan, easing the process for local applicants.

An official statement confirmed, “Applicants can now complete biometric submissions, passport verifications, and interviews at the Swedish Embassy in Islamabad after applying.”

However, this update does not include Schengen visa applications for short-term visits to Sweden.

From April 9 onward, individuals seeking residence permits for family reunification, employment, or studies in Sweden can finalize their applications at the Swedish Embassy in Islamabad. The previous rule requiring travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has been revoked.

This change applies to Pakistani nationals and legal residents in Pakistan who have been directed by the Swedish Migration Agency to visit a Swedish embassy for interviews, passport checks, or biometric registration.

For Schengen visa applications (short stays up to 90 days), Pakistani citizens must still apply through VFS Global offices in Bangkok, Yangon, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, Cebu, Jakarta, Bali, Phnom Penh, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Tokyo, or Seoul. Submitted applications will then be processed by the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok.

The Swedish Migration Agency is assessing options for handling Schengen visa applications within Pakistan and will share updates when a decision is made.

A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device targeting protestors associated with the Balochistan National Party (BNP) in Mastung on Saturday at noon.

BNP members attending the protest were in the process of screening other individuals for the protest when the bomber initiated the security check. Witnesses reported numerous injuries, but those details cannot be verified. The police cordoned the area and are conducting an investigation.

The security measures BYC implemented were meant to calm the situation in the area of conflict. These measures were met with resistance in the form of protests which aimed to subdue the BYC actions ordered on the BNP. These protests were peaceful until the tragic incident.

With no proof indicating the existence of militant organizations, it will be easy to draft an association with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) that will serve as a benchmark for future attempts to relate the enduring chaos in the area to a singular identifiable reason; however, it is not likely this association will end the turbulence.