A cargo plane with five crew members aboard has gone missing off the Pakistani port of Karachi after rapidly descending and losing contact with air traffic controllers.

K2 Airways plane missing LIVE: Early flight data suggested the 27-year-old Boeing 737-400 freighter, operated by K2 Airways, may have crashed into the Arabian Sea southwest of Karachi after a series of sharp altitude changes followed by a steep final descent.

A Boeing 737 cargo plane operated by Pakistan's K2 Airways went missing over the Arabian Sea after reporting navigational issues. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing with military involvement.

KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the Pakistan Navy as a capable maritime force, saying it would continue to enhance the country’s naval capabilities to safeguard national defence and contribute to regional maritime stability.

Pakistan’s navy has brought home its first new Hangor-class attack submarine, a Chinese-built diesel-electric boat that gives Islamabad a quieter and longer-lasting underwater patrol option at a time when the Indian Ocean is getting more crowded.