ISLAMABAD Nov 14: The CNBC is starting its broadcast in Pakistan from Tuesday with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz appearing in its live launch programme — Question and Answer session — at 7:30pm. Prime Minister Aziz will field questions from eminent personalities of banking, corporate, business and finance sectors both from within the country and around the world.

The CNBC affiliated with G.E., an umbrella organization also encompassing NBC, will initially broadcast six-hour programmes in Urdu with the remaining live programmes on financial and economic news from around the world including Asia, Europe and the US.

All programmes would be live linking various international channels.

About the policy of the international financial channel, its president, Zafar Siddiqui, informed reporters that it would be ensured that programmes broadcast on CNBC were in conformity with local traditions and values.

The network, besides employing some 200 Pakistani staff, will be headquartered in Karachi with bureaus in Islamabad and Lahore at a total cost of $18 million.

Mr Siddiqui said the channel would focus on the country’s agriculture, which was a major source of income and economy, to reach out to maximum audience, and expand its broadcast to rural areas as soon as the cable network expanded.

The CNBC will also set up an institution where budding journalists will be provided training in media broadcasting.

It will also air a weekly programme in English which will cover the whole spectrum of economic as well as political occurrences in Pakistan.