Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to intensify search and rescue operations in the Arabian Sea after a private cargo plane en route from Sharjah to Karachi went missing late on Tuesday night.
A K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft disappeared from radar over the Arabian Sea, about 300 kilometres west of Karachi, late on Tuesday night.
K2 Airways is a private airline based in Karachi. The carrier was established in May 2018 after being granted an airline charter licence by the government.
According to reports, the aircraft lost contact while approaching Pakistani airspace. The pilot had reported a navigation problem during the flight and requested assistance from the area control centre.
On Wednesday, state-run Radio Pakistan reported that the premier had instructed the CAA, the navy and the PAF to utilise all available resources in the search operation, as he extended his heartfelt sympathies to the families of the five crew members on board the aircraft.
