A total of 1,034 scientists affiliated with Pakistani institutions have made the world’s top 2% scientists list for 2026, compiled by Stanford University and Elsevier, placing Pakistan 33rd globally by the number of researchers featured in the rankings.
Pakistan’s representation increased by 9.3% from 946 scientists in 2025, while the number has grown by 325.5% since 2020, when 243 Pakistani scientists appeared on the single-year list.
Among the researchers featured in the rankings, the following are the top 20 Pakistani scientists according to the list provided for 2026, along with their institutional affiliations.
Top 20 Pakistani Scientists in the 2026 Rankings
- Dr. Zulfiqar A. Bhutta
The Aga Khan University - Muhammad Ashraf
University of Lahore - Salim Shahbuddin Virani
The Aga Khan University - Ayesha Kausar
National Center for Physics - Muhammad Sajid
University of Management and Technology, Lahore - Muhammad Akram
University of the Punjab - Jawad Abbas
University of Central Punjab - Tasawar Hayat
Quaid-i-Azam University - Muhammad Qamar Bilal
Bacha Khan University - Haroon Khan
Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan - Faisal Zulfiqar
The Islamia University of Bahawalpur - Rahmat Ellahi
International Islamic University, Islamabad - Shah Fahad
Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan - Muhammad Shahid Rizwan
Government College University Faisalabad - Shafaqat M. Ali
Government College University Faisalabad - Muhammad Ramzan Saeed Ashraf Janjua
Government College University Faisalabad - Muhammad Bilal Tahir
Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology - Muhammad Azam
Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan - Abdur Rauf
University of Sahiwal - Usman Mehmood
University of Management and Technology, Lahore
Which Pakistani University Has the Most Scientists on the List?
Government College University Faisalabad leads Pakistani institutions in the number of researchers featured on the 2026 single-year list, with 56 scientists. The University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, ranks second with 50.
Pakistan also has 321 scientists on the career-long impact list, which recognizes researchers based on their cumulative contributions to scientific research over their careers. Read the full list of 1,034 Pakistani scientists featured in the 2026 rankings.
The post World’s Top 2% Scientists: Here Are Pakistan’s Top 20 appeared first on ProPakistani.
