The Higher Education Commission has constituted a 22 member National Task Force to develop Pakistan's National University Rankings Framework, according to an APP report published on November 4, 2026. The group will review how university performance should be assessed through a nationally relevant ranking system.
What will the task force examine?
APP reports that the group will review and finalise the proposed framework, drawing on international ranking methods while considering Pakistan's higher education landscape. Its work covers indicators, their relative weights, assessment methods, data requirements, verification procedures and scoring mechanisms.
Dr Ghulam Mustafa, Director of the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences in Islamabad, has been appointed convenor. Muhammad Ali Baig, HEC's National Coordinator for National University Rankings and Deputy Director of the Higher Education Data Repository, will serve as secretary.
Key details
| Item | Reported position |
|---|---|
| Membership | 22 members |
| Purpose | Review and finalise a national university rankings framework |
| Assessment work | Indicators, weights, data verification and scoring |
| Current status | Framework development, not a released ranking list |
Representatives include universities across different regions and disciplines, alongside the KP Higher Education Department and the Punjab and Sindh higher education commissions. The institutions named in the report include Aga Khan University, NUST, Quaid-i-Azam University, the University of Balochistan and the University of Karachi.
What this means for students and universities
For applicants comparing institutions, the announcement concerns the development of an assessment framework. It does not itself establish which university ranks highest or change admission eligibility. University administrators and quality assurance teams should watch for HEC's eventual indicators, data requirements and verification guidance.
The APP report does not provide final indicator weights, a publication date for the rankings or a completed ranking table. Those details remain to be announced. Students should continue checking programme recognition, eligibility and current university information rather than treating task force membership as a ranking result.
Source: APP, November 4, 2026.
Source: app.com.pk