Cenozoic • Paleogene–Neogene Literature

Shaigalu Member

Oligocene to Early Miocene

Pishin–Katawaz Basin · Khojak–Pishin flysch belt

Cited in 6 sources Last reviewed Aug 2, 2026

Unit summary

Rank: Not recorded
Status: Published
Age: Cenozoic · Paleogene–Neogene · Oligocene–MioceneOligocene to Early Miocene
Named by: Hunting Survey Corporation (1960) as the 'Shaigalu sandstone'; formalised as the Shaigalu Member by Shah (2009)
Type locality: Shaigalu militia post, ~50 km southwest of Zhob (reference section); up to ~3,950 m at the Manzakai section (Qayyum et al. 1996).
Thickness: up to ~3,950 m (Manzakai section)
Lithology: Sandstone with minor interbedded shale (lithic arenite); fluvial- to wave-dominated deltaic.
Synonyms: Shaigalu Sandstone

The upper member of the Khojak Formation in the Pishin–Katawaz flysch belt of northern Balochistan — dominantly sandstone with minor interbedded shale, deposited as fluvial- to wave-dominated deltaic sediment. Its sandstones are lithic arenites of recycled-orogen provenance.

Fossils

molluscs gastropods

Contacts

In the Zhob-Muslim Bagh column

ConglomerateSandstoneLimestoneShale / 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.

Distribution & setting

Zhob-Muslim Bagh

Basin: Pishin–Katawaz Basin
Region: Khojak–Pishin flysch belt
Depositional environment: deltaic
Coordinates: Not recorded

Correlation

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

Economic significance

Not recorded

Remarks

The upper, sandstone-dominant member of the Khojak Formation (Oligocene–Miocene), deposited in a wave-modified, fluvial-dominated delta system; its cross-bedded, upward-fining sandstone with multicoloured mudstones and palaeosols was correlated with the Murree Formation of the Potwar Basin by Shah (1977).

Research notes (1)

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

Constituent units (1)

Upper member of the Khojak Formation (Qayyum et al. 1996; Kazmi & Abbasi 2008; Kakar et al. 2016; Yaseen et al. 2019), above the Murgha Faqirzai Member. The GSP Karezat abstract (Waliullah et al.) instead uses ‘Shaigalu Formation (Miocene)’ — a rank/age alternative.

Kakar, D.M., Kasi, A.K., Kassi, A.M., Friis, H., Mohibullah, M. & Khan, S. (2016)

Sources (6)

Yaseen, W., Khan, A.S., Sohail, K., Farooq, U., Usman, M. & Ghani, M. (2019). Modal composition and provenance of Shaigalu Sandstones, Pishin-Katawaz Basin, northern Balochistan, Pakistan. Bahria University Research Journal of Earth Sciences (BURJES), 4(2), 70-77.
Kakar, D.M., Kasi, A.K., Kassi, A.M., Friis, H., Mohibullah, M. & Khan, S. (2016). Petrography and whole-rock geochemistry of the Oligocene–Miocene Khojak Formation, Khojak-Pishin Belt, Pakistan: implications on provenance and source-area weathering. Journal of Himalayan Earth Sciences, 49(2).
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.
Waliullah, Khan, J.A. & Akhtar, W. Preliminary geology and mineral potential of the Karezat and Barshor quadrangles (toposheets 34 N/6 and 5), district Pishin, Balochistan. Geological Survey of Pakistan, Quetta (abstract).
Kasi, A.K., Kassi, A.M., Umar, M., Manan, R.A. & Kakar, M.I. (2012). Revised lithostratigraphy of the Pishin Belt, northwestern Pakistan. Journal of Himalayan Earth Sciences, 45(1), 53-65.
Ashraf, M., Nizami, A.R. & Butt, A.A. (2010). Petrographic and biostratigraphic studies on sedimentary sequences of Multanai area, Pishin Basin, Balochistan, Pakistan. Geological Bulletin of the Punjab University, 45, 25-36.

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: Defined in journal or other literature; not found in a GSP memoir. There is no body currently ratifying unit status, so provenance is shown in place of a formal ruling.

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Cite this unit

APA

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

BibTeX

@misc{stratigraphypk_shaigalumember,
  author    = {Qudsi, Lareb},
  title     = {{Shaigalu Member} --- 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/shaigalu-member (accessed October 29, 2026).

To cite the unit's original definition instead, see: Hunting Survey Corporation (1960) as the 'Shaigalu sandstone'; formalised as the Shaigalu Member by Shah (2009).

Below · older

Murgha Faqirzai Formation

Paleogene

Above · younger

Dasht Murgha Group

Neogene