ISLAMABAD: Quaid-e-Azam University has been declared as top of Pakistan after an overall performance evaluation by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

A total of 136 public and private universities were evaluated by the Quality Assurance Committee of the HEC on the criteria of research, learning standard and annual examination results.

Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) secured second while Aga Khan University earned the third spot in the national rankings.

Only one university from Balochistan, the country’s largest province, was listed in a separate category-wise ranking, highlighting a dire need for funding and up gradation of education in that region.

It was the Balochistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences of Quetta that had the honour, ranking in the top five in the Information and Technology category.

The top 10 universities of the country are:

1. Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad

2. Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences

3. Aga Khan University, Karachi

4. University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

5. University of Punjab, Lahore

6. National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)

7. Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University

8. University of Health Sciences, Lahore

9. COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT)

10.Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore