Hazard Zones

According to a map created by the Pakistan Met. Department, the country is divided into 4 zones based on expected ground acceleration. The areas surrounding Quetta, along the Makran coast and parts of the NWFP, along the Afghan border fall in Zone 4. The rest of the NWFP lies in Zone 3, with the exception of southern parts of this province which lie in Zone 2. The remaining parts of the Pakistani coast till Karachi also lie in Zone 3. The remaining parts of the country lie in Zone 2. The major cities of Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Islamabad both sit in this zone. But despite this, they are regularly rattled by strong earthquakes from the north or from neighbouring Afghanistan. The upper westernmost part of Balochistan and regions along the border with India lie in Zone 1. This zone also includes Lahore where there was serious damage caused by the 1905 Kangra earthquake in neighbouring India.

According to the GSHAP, the most vulnerable parts of Pakistan are parts of Balochistan province in and around Quetta stretching to the Afghan border and western parts of Balochistan, which include the Makran coast till the Iranian border. These regions could expect to have a maximum peak ground acceleration (PGA) ranging between 0.24g to 0.4g. Parts of northern Punjab could expect a maximum PGA ranging between 0.24g to 0.32g. Similar values of PGA could be expected in northern sections of the North-West Frontier Province (N.W.F.P.) and around Karachi, in Sindh Province. Maximum PGA values for the rest of the country do not fall below 0.8g. These values steadily decrease towards the Indian border. The region with the lowest maximum PGA is a region between Khangarh and Fort Abbas, along the international border with India.