Pakistan's national carrier said one of its planes has gone missing after take-off in the country's north with about 40 people on board.

It is now being reported nasheed artist and one of Pakistan's most famous musicians of the last 40 years Junaid Jamshed was on the aircraft.

Pakistan International Airlines spokesman Daniyal Gilani said the ATR-42 aircraft carrying around 40 passengers and crew lost touch on Wednesday with the control tower.

He said all resources are being mobilised to locate the plane.

A local police official, Khursheed Tanoli, told state-run Pakistan Television that the plane went down in a village in the north west and that rescuers are trying to reach the site of the crash.

The airline has activated its emergency response numbers are 0092-21-99044890, 0092-21-99044376 and 0092-21-99044394





Junaid had tweeted this message earlier in the week.