By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI -  Pakistan has launched a large-scale search and rescue operation after a privately operated cargo aircraft vanished over the Arabian Sea while flying from the United Arab Emirates to the southern port city of Karachi, prompting the country's top leadership to mobilize military and civil aviation resources.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to deploy all available resources to locate the missing aircraft and its five crew members.

The aircraft, a K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 freighter, disappeared from radar late Tuesday night while approaching Pakistani airspace after departing from Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates.

According to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), the flight first reported a malfunction in its navigation system at approximately 9:18 p.m. local time. Air traffic controllers at the Karachi Area Control Centre immediately began providing navigational assistance to the crew.

However, within minutes, at around 9:21 p.m., radar data indicated that the aircraft made a sudden change in direction before rapidly losing altitude.

Communication with the flight was then lost, and the aircraft disappeared from radar approximately 287 kilometers (178 miles) west of Karachi over the Arabian Sea.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the incident, and officials say search teams are continuing efforts to determine the aircraft's location.

The Prime Minister extended his sympathies to the families of the five crew members aboard the aircraft and instructed all relevant agencies to coordinate closely in the ongoing rescue mission.

President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed concern over the disappearance of the aircraft and voiced hope that rescue teams would successfully locate the crew. In a statement, the President's Office conveyed condolences and solidarity with the families during what it described as a difficult time.

The Pakistan Navy and Air Force have joined civil aviation authorities in the search effort, with aircraft and maritime assets scanning the waters where contact with the cargo plane was lost.

Flight tracking data identifies the missing aircraft as a Boeing 737-4M0(BDSF) freighter registered AP-BOI.

The aircraft has had a long operational history. It was originally delivered to Russia's Aeroflot in 1999 as a passenger jet before later joining Indonesia's Garuda Indonesia fleet.

In 2012, the aircraft was converted into a dedicated cargo aircraft and subsequently operated by European cargo carriers TNT Airways and ASL Airlines before entering service with Pakistan-based K2 Airways in 2024.

K2 Airways is a privately owned airline headquartered in Karachi. Established in 2018, the company received its operating charter from the Pakistani government and has since focused primarily on cargo operations.

Civil aviation authorities have begun gathering flight data and communications records to establish what led to the aircraft's disappearance. Aviation experts note that while navigation system failures can often be managed safely with air traffic control assistance, investigators will seek to determine whether additional technical or operational factors contributed to the loss of contact.

No emergency locator signal or confirmed debris field had been reported as of Wednesday, and officials said the search operation would continue until the aircraft and its crew are located.

The disappearance marks one of Pakistan's most significant aviation emergencies in recent years and has prompted heightened attention from aviation authorities as rescue teams race against time in the waters of the Arabian Sea.