The quake struck at 4:32 pm (1132 GMT) with its epicentre in the Hindu Kush mountain range, chief meteorologist Mohammad Riaz told AFP.

Tremors were felt in several cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its capital, Peshawar, he said.

The small quake hit a few hours after a devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit Japan on Friday and triggered tsunami alerts across the Pacific ocean.