A hero pilot made a successful emergency landing when the plane's cargo compartment caught fire.

The low-cost carrier Fly Jinnah's captain on flight FL-846, which was carrying 171 people, took off from Karachi on the way to Lahore when smoke was seen coming from the hold on September 23.

He sent a distress call as the Airbus A320 approached the destination at 7:15 pm and landed safely at the airport eight minutes later.

Footage shows the fire officers assisting the passengers from the plane's evacuation slide. All of the doors were opened, and ambulances were present at the scene.

No one was hurt and a technical team was sent to inspect the aircraft.

Officials said that passengers were strictly prohibited from removing any bags from the aircraft. The crew also monitored air pressure levels onboard.

Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson Saifullah Khan said: ‘The captain issued a Mayday call near Lahore at 7:15 pm reporting after smoke emitting in the cargo compartment. The plane landed safely at 7:23 pm.

'The pilot, a foreign national, executed the emergency landing with skill and professionalism.'

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Fly Jinnah is a low-cost airline based in Pakistan that operates domestic flights.