Plagiarism Policy

Policy Framework
Pakistan Horizon fully adheres to the plagiarism guidelines prescribed by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan.

HEC Journals and Publications Policy 2024.

Similarity Thresholds

• The overall similarity index must not exceed 19 per cent.
• Similarity from any single source must not exceed 5 per cent.

Manuscripts exceeding these limits may be rejected or conditionally accepted subject to revision at the discretion of the Editorial Board.

Similarity Check Procedure
Similarity checks are conducted at three stages:
(i) initial submission,
(ii) resubmission after review (excluding quotations, bibliography, and minor overlaps), and
(iii) pre-publication verification.

Failure to meet the required thresholds after three checks results in rejection and may be reported to the HEC.

Handling of Plagiarism and Retraction
All suspected cases of plagiarism are investigated. Depending on severity, actions may include rejection, mandatory revision, formal warning, or, in the case of published work, issuance of a corrigendum or retraction. Relevant institutions and the HEC may be notified where appropriate.
HEC plagiarism policy.