ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (AFP) - A 6.1 MAGNITUDE earthquake jolted several Pakistani cities late on Thursday, but there were no reports of casualties or damage, officials said.

The tremors were felt in several Pakistani cities including capital Islamabad, at 11.44pm (1744 GMT, 1.44am Singapore time), chief of Pakistan's meteorological department Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry told AFP.

The quakes epicentre was located in Hindu Kush mountains between Pakistan and Afghanistan, he said, adding that it had a depth of 200km and was not likely to cause any destruction.

The quake woke up residents in Islamabad forcing many to rush out of their homes, witnesses said.

The US Geological Survey put the quake at 6.0 and said that its epicentre was located 131km north-west of Pakistani town of Chitral at a depth of 202km.

Northern Afghanistan and Pakistan are frequently hit by earthquakes, especially around the Hindu Kush range near the collision of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.