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Precambrian • Precambrian formation In GSP lexicon

Uch Khattak Formation

Precambrian

Northern Indus Suture

Precambrian in the time scale →

Cited in 5 sources Last reviewed Jul 18, 2026

Unit summary
Rank
formation
Status
Published
Age
Precambrian · PrecambrianPrecambrian
Named by
Tahirkheli (1970)
Type locality
Attock-Cherat and Gandghar Ranges
Thickness
200–250 m
Lithology
Limestone, argillite and shale; a lower stromatolite-bearing limestone is overlain by laminated argillite and shale, with an intraformational conglomerate carrying clasts of the Manki and Shahkot formations.
Synonyms
Not recorded

A Late Precambrian limestone-and-shale unit with stromatolites, between the Shahkot and Shekhai formations.

Uch Khattak formation consists of rubbly limestone with minor shales (Tahirkheli, 1970). Hussain et al. (1989) declared as Precambrian.

Fossils

Not recorded

Contacts

In the Khyber–Nowshera Belt column
LimestoneMetamorphicConformable

Band colour = period; texture = dominant rock type. Lines between bands mark the contact type. 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

Basin
Northern Indus Suture
Region
Not recorded
Depositional environment
marine
Coordinates
Not recorded

Correlation

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

Economic significance

Not recorded

Remarks

A Late Precambrian limestone-argillite-shale unit conformable between the Shahkot and Shekhai formations; its lower limestone carries stromatolites and it contains a conglomerate with clasts of the underlying units.

Sources (4)
  • Malkani, M.S. & Mahmood, Z. (2017). Stratigraphy of Pakistan. Geological Survey of Pakistan, Memoir Vol. 24.
  • Kazmi, A.H. & Jan, M.Q. (1997). Geology and Tectonics of Pakistan. Graphic Publishers, Karachi.
  • Hylland, M.D., Riaz, M. & Ahmad, S. (1988). Geology of the Southern Gandghar Range, Pakistan. Geological Bulletin, University of Peshawar, Vol. 21, pp. 1-14.
  • Shah, S.M.I. (2009). Stratigraphy of Pakistan. Geological Survey of Pakistan, Memoir Vol. 22.

Reviewer confidence: high

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.

Cite this unit
APA

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

BibTeX
@misc{stratigraphypk_uchkhattakformation,
  author    = {Qudsi, Lareb},
  title     = {{Uch Khattak Formation} --- 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/uch-khattak-formation (accessed August 30, 2026).

To cite the unit's original definition instead, see: Tahirkheli (1970).

    Saved on this device only.