Cenozoic • Paleogene In GSP lexicon

Ghazij Group

Early Eocene

Cited in 12 sources Last reviewed Aug 10, 2026

Unit summary

Rank: Not recorded
Status: Published
Age: Cenozoic · Paleogene · EoceneEarly Eocene
Named by: Not recorded
Type locality: Ghazij, Balochistan
Thickness: 500-1500 m
Lithology: Shale, sandstone, coal, gypsum (deltaic to evaporitic)
Synonyms: Not recorded

A thick Early Eocene pile of shale, sandstone and coal in Balochistan, laid down by deltas and rivers along the western edge of the mountains. It holds Pakistan's most important Eocene coal.

Deposited under deltaic, evaporitic and terrestrial environments by paleo-Indus River system. Contains significant coal deposits. Also called Chamalang Group.

Fossils

Plant fossils Freshwater fauna Marginal marine fauna

Contacts

In the Sulaiman Fold Belt column

LimestoneSandstoneShale / mudFossils recordedContact not recorded

Band colour = period; texture = dominant rock type. Lines between bands mark the contact type; dotted = no contact recorded in the sources (not a claim of conformity). True scale makes height ∝ recorded thickness; hatched = thickness not recorded. Ages approximate, for ordering.

This unit (highlighted) within its province column; faded ends continue above and below. Line style marks the contact type.

Constituent units

Formations that make up this unit, in stratigraphic order (youngest at top, as in the column).

Distribution & setting

Sulaiman Fold Belt

Basin: Not recorded
Region: Not recorded
Depositional environment: deltaic, fluvial, marginal marine, evaporitic
Coordinates: Not recorded

See it in the field

Geoheritage site where this unit is exposed at outcrop.

Bolan Pass

Sulaiman Fold Belt

Correlation

Not recorded. Compare this unit against other basins on the correlation panel →

Economic significance

Coal & lignite

Hosts the principal Eocene coal deposits of Pakistan, worked in the Mach, Sor Range, Sharigh, Pir Ismail Ziarat and Johan coal fields of Balochistan.

Remarks

The coal-bearing lower Eocene Ghazij Formation (Group) is exposed intermittently for about 750 km along the western margin of the Axial Belt; its thick lower part (>1000 m) of gray calcareous mudrock and sandstone, passing up into reddish alluvial-plain deposits, records deltaic to fluvial and locally evaporitic sedimentation by an early Indus-derived river system. It is the main Eocene coal-bearing unit of Balochistan.

Research notes (16)

Field-by-field findings drawn from the cited literature. Every statement is traced to a registered source — follow a citation for the full reference.

Name & nomenclature (1)

Attested in Shah (2009), Geological Survey of Pakistan Memoir 22 - the Stratigraphic Committee of Pakistan's compiled lexicon (listed in the memoir's contents). Adds the definitional GSP/SCP lexicon citation.

Shah, S.M.I. (2009)

Age & correlation (3)

Afzal, Williams & Aldridge (2009) recognise a Ghazij Formation (incorporating the Laki Formation of Shah 1977) dated by larger benthonic foraminifera (Assilina leymeriei, A. pustulosa, Orbitolites complanatus, Nummulites globulus) to shallow benthonic Zones SBZ8-SBZ13 and by planktonic foraminifera to Zones P7-P10 (Eames 1952; Nagappa 1959; Weiss 1993; Afzal 1996; Wakefield & Monteil 2002; Warraich & Nishi 2003), i.e. late Ypresian to early Lutetian. Extends the curated Early Eocene age into the early Middle Eocene.

Afzal, J., Williams, M. & Aldridge, R.J. (2009)
Kazmi & Jan (1997): the Ghazij Group (Early Eocene; type section Spintangi) is dominantly shale with claystone, mudstone, sandstone, limestone, conglomerate and alabaster (Kazmi 1962) and mined coal, subdivided into the Marap Conglomerate, Shaheed Ghat, Drug, Toi and Baska formations; ~160 m (Kirthar) to ~1,300 m (Moghal Kot), conformable between the Dungan and Kirthar formations, with a foraminifer/gastropod/echinoid fauna.

Kazmi, A.H. & Jan, M.Q. (1997)
Corroborated by USGS PP 1599: the Ghazij Formation is lower Eocene (Early Eocene), consistent with the dataset's assignment.

Johnson, E.A., Warwick, P.D., Roberts, S.B. & Khan, I.H. (1999)

Lithology (2)

Maldonado et al. (2011, USGS): in the Quetta-Muslim Bagh-Sibi region the lower-Eocene Ghazij Formation is >1,600 m thick and predominantly a siliciclastic marine-shelf succession, conformably overlain by middle-Eocene strata as the area returned to marine-shelf conditions.

Maldonado, F., Mengal, J.M., Khan, S.H. & Warwick, P.D. (2011)
Hemphill & Kidwai (1973, USGS PP 716-B): the early Eocene Ghazij Shale is up to ~9,000 ft thick in the Mughal Kot area - an upper half of soft red/maroon-weathering claystone (more calcareous, with larger foraminifera, eastward) over a lower half of green/grey to black fissile claystone with ripple-marked quartzitic sandstone; it is contiguous northward with the Panoba Shale.

Hemphill, W.R. & Kidwai, A.H. (1973)

Thickness (1)

Kassi et al. (1987): 590 m at the Spintangi type section, Baluchistan. The dataset's ~1000 m (500-1500 m) reflects the broader group across regions; the Baluchistan Ghazij type section is ~590 m. Value retained.

Kassi, A.M., Qureshi, A.R. & Kakar, D.M. (1987)

Stratigraphic contacts (1)

DISCREPANCY for review — Kassi et al. (1987): the Ghazij conformably overlies the Dungan/Laki formations and Ranikot Group (Paleocene) and UNDERLIES THE KIRTHAR FORMATION (Upper Eocene). The dataset currently records underlies = 'Kahan Group'. Kassi's Ghazij->Kirthar superposition also supports treating the Kirthar succession (Habib Rahi/Domanda/Pirkoh/Drazinda) as a separate unit above Ghazij, not as Ghazij members (see the taxonomy proposal).

Kassi, A.M., Qureshi, A.R. & Kakar, D.M. (1987)

Constituent units (2)

RANK note for the taxonomy review — Kassi et al. (1987) and earlier workers (Oldham 1890; Williams 1959; HSC 1961) treat Ghazij as a FORMATION subdivided into the Baska Shales (Alabaster Member) and Matap Conglomerate Member, whereas this dataset carries it as a 'Ghazij Group'. The Formation-vs-Group rank for Ghazij is exactly the kind of inconsistency flagged in the taxonomy proposal; left as-is pending GSP/SCP + reviewer decision.

Kassi, A.M., Qureshi, A.R. & Kakar, D.M. (1987)
RANK/MEMBER finding for the taxonomy review — USGS Professional Paper 1599 (the authoritative USGS-GSP monograph) treats Ghazij as a FORMATION throughout ('Ghazij Formation' 183x vs 'Ghazij Group' 1x), subdivided into three informal vertical parts (Lower, Middle, Upper) proposed for formal member status, plus the named Marap Conglomerate Member (Shah 1977) and Meting Limestone Member. This Balochistan/Kirthar 'Formation' usage differs from the Sulaiman 'Ghazij Group' scheme (Shaheed Ghat/Toi/Drug/Baska). Under NEITHER scheme are the Kirthar-Group units (Habib Rahi/Domanda/Pirkoh/Drazinda) Ghazij members. Left as-is pending the reviewer/GSP rank + membership decision.

Johnson, E.A., Warwick, P.D., Roberts, S.B. & Khan, I.H. (1999)

Depositional environment (3)

Jones (1997): the Ghazij (reported as the Ghazij Formation) yielded only an impoverished, largely non-marine palynoflora (rare angiosperm/Gramineae pollen and spores, with reworked Early Cretaceous dinocysts); the absence of marine palynomorphs gives negative evidence for a non-marine palaeoenvironment. No age could be drawn from this study — the Early Eocene age rests on previously published work.

Jones, R.W. (1997)
Corroborated by Kassi et al. (1987): the Ghazij succession in the Kach area, Baluchistan, has a deltaic origin — rhythmic/graded turbidite sandstones in the lower shale-dominant part, a coarsening-up middle and a fining-up, shale-dominant transgressive top; palaeocurrents generally east-to-west. Consistent with the existing 'deltaic' interpretation.

Kassi, A.M., Qureshi, A.R. & Kakar, D.M. (1987)
Corroborated by USGS PP 1599: deltaic to alluvial-plain depositional environments, with mapped conglomerate and evaporite facies; exposed ~750 km along the western margin of the Axial Belt. Consistent with the existing deltaic/marginal-marine/evaporitic interpretation.

Johnson, E.A., Warwick, P.D., Roberts, S.B. & Khan, I.H. (1999)

Economic significance (3)

Malik (1989): the Early Eocene Ghazij Formation/Group is the principal Baluchistan coal basin - coal in a mid sandstone facies capped by a conglomeratic marker bed, fragmented by severe Eocene tectonism (along the Ghazaband Fault) into many fields: Mach-Abigum, Degari, Sinjidi, Sor Range, Pir Ismail Ziarat, Sharigh, Harnai-Khost, Duki and Chamalang. Coal is high-sulphur; Harnai-Khost and Sor Range are the highest-rank (to ~11,480 BTU/lb), the Duki field the lowest.

Malik, I.A. (1989)
Kassi et al. (1987): the Ghazij is worked for coal (Sor Range, Degari, Duki, Mach, Sharigh) and alabaster (gypsum). Corroborates the existing coal note.

Kassi, A.M., Qureshi, A.R. & Kakar, D.M. (1987)
Corroborated by USGS PP 1599: the Ghazij hosts the principal Eocene coal fields of Pakistan (Mach, Sor Range, Pir Ismail Ziarat, Johan). Consistent with the existing coal note.

Johnson, E.A., Warwick, P.D., Roberts, S.B. & Khan, I.H. (1999)

Sources (12)

Malkani, M.S. & Mahmood, Z. (2017). Stratigraphy of Pakistan. Geological Survey of Pakistan, Memoir Vol. 24.
Johnson, E.A., Warwick, P.D., Roberts, S.B. & Khan, I.H. (1999). Lithofacies, depositional environments, and regional stratigraphy of the lower Eocene Ghazij Formation, Balochistan, Pakistan. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1599, 76 p.
Indian Plate Lexicon (indplex.geolex.org), Geological Society of India and international compilation.
Afzal, J., Williams, M. & Aldridge, R.J. (2009). Revised stratigraphy of the lower Cenozoic succession of the Greater Indus Basin in Pakistan. Journal of Micropalaeontology, 28(1): 7-23.
Shah, S.M.I. (2009). Stratigraphy of Pakistan. Geological Survey of Pakistan, Memoir Vol. 22.
Jones, R.W. (1997). Aspects of the Cenozoic stratigraphy of the Northern Sulaiman Ranges, Pakistan. Journal of Micropalaeontology, 16(1), 51-58.
Kazmi, A.H. & Jan, M.Q. (1997). Geology and Tectonics of Pakistan. Graphic Publishers, Karachi.
Kazmi, A.H. & Abbasi, I.A. (2008). Stratigraphy and Historical Geology of Pakistan. Department & National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar. 524 pp. ISBN 978-969-9119.
Malik, I.A. (1989). Geodynamics and Coal Deposits of Pakistan. Geological Bulletin of the Punjab University, 24, 12-43.
Maldonado, F., Mengal, J.M., Khan, S.H. & Warwick, P.D. (2011). Summary of the Stratigraphy and Structural Elements Related to Plate Convergence of the Quetta-Muslim Bagh-Sibi Region, Balochistan, West-Central Pakistan. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2011-1224.
Hemphill, W.R. & Kidwai, A.H. (1973). Stratigraphy of the Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan Areas, Pakistan. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 716-B (Geological Investigations in Pakistan), 36 p.
Kassi, A.M., Qureshi, A.R. & Kakar, D.M. (1987). Sedimentology of the Ghazij Formation, Kach Area, Baluchistan. Geological Bulletin, University of Peshawar, 20, 53-62.

Reviewer confidence: medium

Every fact on this page is source-cited. This entry is part of the peer-archived Pakistan Stratigraphy Dataset (doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21363991, CC‑BY‑4.0).

Lexicon status: Name attested in the Shah (1977/2009) Geological Survey of Pakistan compilation — the national stratigraphic lexicon. This records where the name is documented; it is not an endorsement of the unit’s definition, age or figures.

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Cite this unit

APA

Qudsi, L. (2026). Ghazij Group. In Pakistan Stratigraphy Dataset [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21363991

BibTeX

@misc{stratigraphypk_ghazijgroup,
  author    = {Qudsi, Lareb},
  title     = {{Ghazij Group} --- Pakistan Stratigraphy Dataset},
  year      = {2026},
  publisher = {Zenodo},
  doi       = {10.5281/zenodo.21363991},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21363991}
}

Archived dataset: doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21363991 (CC‑BY‑4.0) · Direct link to this entry: https://stratigraphy.pk/formation/ghazij-group (accessed October 29, 2026).

Below · older

Dungan Formation

Paleogene

Above · younger

Kahan Group