KARACHI: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) ended their Group of Five round campaign in the Departmental Leg of the second-division Pakistan Football Federation League (PFFL) top of the pile after Murtuza Hussain’s hat-trick helped them thrash Pakistan Police 6-0 here on Thursday.

HEC’s victory sent them top of the five-team mini-league with seven points, one ahead of second-placed Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) who are level on points with Pakistan Railways, 2-0 winners over Karachi United on Thursday.

The HEC, who have played their quota of four matches in the final round of the Departmental Leg, will now turn their attention to Saturday’s clash between SSGC and Railways.

The winners of that game will be crowned Departmental Leg winners and earn a spot in next season’s Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL).

However, if that game ends in a draw, the HEC will be playing the PPFL next season and will contest the winners of the Club Leg to decide the PFFL champions.

Police (three points) and Karachi United (one) are out of contention and will face each other in Saturday’s other game.

The HEC started strongly at the KPT Stadium and took the lead with just five minutes on the clock with Qayyum Furqan netting. Murtuza doubled their lead in the eighth minute before scoring his second in the 20th.

Rashid Masih made it 4-0 in the 51st before Murtuza completed his hat-trick in the 75th with his fourth goal in the Group of Five round and Umair Ali completed the scoring eight minutes from time.

Nasir Iqbal scored for his second game in succession to help Railways to their second successive victory in the other game at the KPT Stadium.

Having scored the winner in the 3-2 victory over Police in their last match, Nasir wrapped up all three points for Railways, scoring in the 35th minute, after Usman Zafar had given them the lead in the 16th.

Elsewhere in Layyah, Milli Afghan FC put themselves in pole position to win the Club Leg after Zahoor’s first-half double helped them ease past Baloch FC Dalbadin 2-0.

Zahoor scored in the fifth and the 34th minute of the match as Milli Afghan FC put Baloch FC Dalbadin out of running for the Club Leg title and now need to avoid defeat in their last match of the three-team final round against Baloch FC Quetta to seal promotion to the PPFL.