Rawalpindi group lithology

1. Rawalpindi Group

2. Rawalpindi Group
The stratigraphic committee of Pakistan has approved the term
Rawalpindi Group after the Rawalpindi District, as proposed by
Pinfold 1964, for the rocks comprising “Murree Formation” and
“Kamlial Formation” in the Kohat-Potwar Province.
The group consists of alterations of sandstone and shale of fresh
water origin.

3. Muree Formation
The “Mari Group” of Wynne (1874), “Murree Beds” of Lydekker
(1876) and “Murree Series” of Pilgrim (1910) have been formally
named Murree Formation by stratigraphic committee of
Pakistan. The name is derived from Murree Hills in Rawalpindi
District.
A section exposed to the north of the Dhok Maiki in the
Cambellpur District has been designated as type section.
AFTER 1978 Cambellpur is renamed as Attock.

4. Muree Formation
• The formation is composed of monotonous (repetitive) sequence
of dark red and the purple clay and purple, grey and greenish grey
sandstone with subordinate intraformational conglomerate.
• The basal strata of the formation consists of light greenish grey
calcareous sandstone and conglomerate with abundant derived
Eocene larger foraminifers. This zone has been designated as
FatehJang Member, after the Fatehjang zone of Pilgrim.

5. Muree Formation
In Kohat area the formation has a higher percentage of
sandstone which is brown, greenish grey, in places purple and is
medium to coarse grained. The interbeds of hard siltstone, lenses
of conglomerate and purple to reddish brown shale are frequent.
It is upto 3030 m thick in the northern Potwar but thins out to
only 9m at Banda Daud shah in western Kohat.
The formation ranges in thickness between 180 and 600m in the
northern Salt Range.

6. Muree Formation
Throughout its extent, the formation unconformably overlies various
formations of Eocene age. Its upper contact is broadly transitional
with the Kamlial Formation.
The main body of the formation is poorly fossiliferous and only few
plant remains, silicified wood, fish remains frog and mammalian
bones have been recorded.
Environment: Fluviatile (produced by river)
Correlation: Gaj Formation of the Kirthar Geological Province
Early Miocene age is the age of formation.

7. Kamlial Formation
The “Kamlial beds” of Pinfold (1918) have been formally
established as Kamlial Formation by the Stratigraphic Committee
of Pakistan.
Type Locality is Southwest of Kamlial Village, Attock District
The formation consists of purple-grey and dark brick-red
sandstone which is medium to coarse grained and contains
interbeds of hard purple shale and yellow and purple
intraformational conglomerate.

8. Kamlial Formation
Thickness: At type locality, it is 90m thick. It is 580m thick at Shakardarra and 120-
300m thick in the Western Kohat.
Shahbazi, gupati fossils are present.
Formation is conformably underlain by Murree Formation (broadly transitional). At
places conformably underlain by the Sakesar Limestone.
Conformably overlain by Chinji Formation.
The formation is not encountered in the wells of Punjab Platform (where Siwaliks
directly overlie the Eocene rocks)
Environment is Fluviatile.
Age: Middle to Late Eocene