Islamabad: Officials of Pakistan's Higher Education Commission (HEC) were left baffled when they found that a website similar to their official one has appeared out of nowhere.

The HEC official website's link is www.hec.gov.pk, while the parallel website, www.hec.edu.pk, also offers services similar to those shown on the original, which is browsed by thousands of internet users across the globe, the Dawn reported.

An official admitted that the HEC did not know about the parallel website. "We don't own it and it's news to us."

"I am amazed the website is running. Moreover, it also has ads. We will take up the matter with our information technology officials," said the official who requested that he not be named.

"The HEC is not associated with the domain. We have our official website running on the gov.pk server hosted by a federal telecom organization. It is managed by the Electronic Government Directorate," he said. "A team of IT officials at the commission manages and regularly updates the website."

The hec.edu.pk also offers links to scholarships, admissions to universities, and announcing entrance exams and results related to getting admission in American and British universities.

The website has also caught the attention of the Federal Investigation Agency's Cyber Crime Wing.

"The website cannot be uploaded until it clears certain registration procedures mandatory for getting .edu domain," an official said, adding that investigation was on. IANS