Let us rededicate ourselves to making Pakistan a prosperous country — PM Imran Khan

A general view of the Metropolitan building illuminated with national flag, ahead of Pakistan's Independence Day in Lahore, Pakistan, on August 13, 2019. (REUTERS/Mohsin Raza)
Updated 13 August 2019
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Let us rededicate ourselves to making Pakistan a prosperous country — PM Imran Khan

Message of Pakistan PM Imran Khan on Pakistan Independence Day 2019

I extend my heartiest felicitations to all Pakistanis, living within the country and abroad, on the occasion of our 73rd Independence Day.

The day reminds us of the unmatched sacrifices rendered by our forefathers to protect and safeguard our religious, cultural and social values. It also reminds us of the objectives that led to creation of an independent Muslim state.

This day reinvigorates our spirit to make Pakistan stand out in the comity of nations as a dignified country. Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah envisioned a progressive Pakistan where one could lead one’s life in accordance with the golden tenets of Islam, a state where democratic norms could flourish and rule of law prevailed, and where compassion characterized the bonds between the state and citizens. To this end, the state of Madinah is our model.

Allah Almighty has bestowed our country with great bounties and huge resources, and a bright future awaits us. Quaid’s principles of unity, faith and discipline are beacons of light to overcome the challenges faced by the country. Let us today rededicate ourselves to making Pakistan a developed and prosperous country. Let me emphasize here the role of overseas Pakistanis, and I am sure they will continue making us proud with their concerted efforts for the greater good of their homeland.

On this occasion, I also pay tribute to those sons of the soil who sacrificed their lives while protecting the ideological and geographical boundaries of the motherland, and kept aloft the banner of its freedom.

While the Independence Day is an occasion to rejoice and celebrate, we feel saddened to see our Kashmiri brethren in Indian-occupied Kashmir being subjected to the worst kind of oppression and ruthless state terrorism. The tyranny unleashed against innocent civilians has crossed all limits in total disregard of the international norms and the values of humanity, and has endangered the peace of the region. Let me reassure our Kashmiri brethren that we stand by them, and Pakistan will continue to provide its political, moral and diplomatic support to their just struggle for self-determination. The recent events in IoK have reinforced the Two-Nation theory envisioned by our forefathers.

May Allah grant us the strength to develop Pakistan on the model of state of Madinah. May Allah grant us the ability to transform Pakistan in accordance with the vision of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal. May Allah help us secure for our country its rightful place among the comity of nations.

Pakistan Paindabad.

 

Ancestors made tremendous sacrifices to achieve freedom

Dr. Arif Alvi, President of Pakistan

I congratulate all Pakistanis on the 73rd anniversary of independence for our homeland. Undoubtedly, freedom is a great blessing and our elders and ancestors made tremendous sacrifices to achieve a free Pakistan. As a result of their struggle, Pakistan emerged as an independent country on the world map on August 14, 1947.

Now it is our responsibility to present Pakistan as a dignified and prosperous country in the comity of nations, and mold this country according to the wishes of the founding leaders of Pakistan: Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Allama Mohammed Iqbal. Nature has bestowed Pakistan with immense resources and a key geostrategic location, hence we all have a duty to build our country.

It is a matter of satisfaction and encouragement for us that the new generation realizes the aims and objectives of the creation of Pakistan, and has a passion for patriotism along with a sincere desire for development.

On this occasion we assure our Kashmiri brethren, who are leading their just independence struggle, of our political, moral and diplomatic support.

The challenges, problems and difficulties that we face in Pakistan today require that we achieve harmony and unity for the achievement of the national goals of development and prosperity, and that all sections of society works for Pakistan beyond their personal and group adherences.

On the occasion of the anniversary of our independence I also extend my sincere tribute to all the officers and young men of the security agencies who have sacrificed their lives for the sake of our freedom.

Independence Day fosters our enthusiasm and patriotism to serve our homeland, and our aspiration for our green flag to fly high in the world. On this day, we renew our commitment to make Pakistan a more prosperous and developed country.

 

Saudi Arabia occupies special place in hearts of Pakistanis

Raja Ali Ejaz,  Ambassador of Pakistan

It gives me immense pleasure to extend congratulations to fellow Pakistanis, living at home and abroad, on the Independence Day of Pakistan. We are indeed happy to celebrate the occasion with our brothers in our second home, Saudi Arabia.

This day provides us with an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the ideals of our Quaid and to the aspirations of Dr. Allama Mohammed Iqbal, who wanted to see the Muslim community flourishing in a separate homeland without any fear of oppression, intolerance, inequality or injustice.

We are proud to have developed into a modern state in the comity of nations through untiring efforts by the people and visionary leadership. Pakistan, a country of 200 million people, is today a progressive Islamic state with an active parliament, independent judiciary, free media and vibrant civil society. The country is endowed with immense natural resources and, above all, highly industrious, enterprising and peace-loving people.

Saudi Arabia is revered and occupies a special place in the hearts of Pakistanis. This is manifested by the outstanding relations between the two countries. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have always stood by each other and the collaboration continues to grow.

We are grateful to Saudi Arabia for the warmth and hospitality it has extended to nearly 2.5 million Pakistanis, the largest overseas Pakistani community.

It is heartening to note the contributions made by our professionals and skilled and unskilled workers in the development of Saudi Arabia for the past many years are well acknowledged. 

I sincerely hope that cooperation in this arena will grow further under the auspices of Saudi Vision 2030. I urge the Pakistani diaspora to continue to work with zeal and uphold the dignity of our great country.

Let us today renew our pledge to make Pakistan the state envisioned by our forefathers and founders. I join my Pakistani brethren in praying that Pakistani-Saudi relations may grow and go from strength to strength for the benefit of Ummah and the people of the two countries.

May Allah bless Pakistan and Saudi Arabia with lasting peace and prosperity in the times ahead.

Long Live Pakistan. Long Live Saudi Arabia. Long Live Pakistani -Saudi friendship.

 

Makkah Route project eased Hajj pilgrims’ journey to KSA

Shahryar Akbar Khan, Consul General of Pakistan

 

I would like to extend my sincere wishes to all the Pakistani fraternity living in Saudi Arabia, on this auspicious occasion of the Independence Day of Pakistan. This day is a reminder of the struggle undertaken by the Muslims of the subcontinent, under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah, for a separate homeland where they could live their lives with freedom and dignity.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share common political, strategic and economic objectives. The relationship between the two countries is unique and deep-rooted in history. The presence of more than 2.5 million Pakistanis in the Kingdom is a source of strength for the friendship between the two countries. They are contributing to the economic development of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. They are acting as a bridge of friendship between the two brotherly countries.

Pakistan also fully supports the Vision 2030 of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Hajj 2019 marked the initiation of Makkah Route project, under Vision 2030. It provided Pakistani pilgrims with the unique opportunity to use a pre-departure immigration facility at Islamabad airport, which simplified their journey to Saudi Arabia. 

We hope that this facility will be extended to more pilgrims and cities in future.

At the end of my official tenure in Jeddah, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my countrymen, the Saudi government and the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia, who have always lent their support and assistance in ensuring my work stay here in Saudi Arabia was smooth.

Working in Jeddah, the gateway of the Two Holy Lands, has been the experience of a lifetime, and I am blessed and honored to be part of this great fraternity who serve the pilgrims visiting Makkah and Madinah Munawarah. It gives me immense satisfaction to say that, during the course of my posting in Jeddah, I have endeavored to further the interests and the well-being of my countrymen during the various engagements and meetings held with scores of Saudi officials at various discourses and arenas.

We Pakistanis have an emotional link with Saudi Arabia and its leadership, who have always reciprocated by heartily facilitating and supporting our requests.

I would like to wish every Pakistani immense success in their endeavors and pray for the peace, progress and prosperity of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Long live Pakistan. Long live Pakistani-Saudi Arabian friendship.

 

Carrying forward the legacy of Pakistan’s founding fathers

Adnan Nasir, principal of PISJ-ES

 In the vast history of Central Asia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in its exclusive sovereignty emerges so miraculously that it perplexes the minds of some apprehensive forces and lights the candle of hope for true freedom fighters across the globe. 

Aug. 14 marks the birth anniversary of Pakistan. It re-stimulates a sense of bravery and courage, aspirations and steadfastness, struggle and ownership of our ancestors to acquire an independent piece of land, a place that we proudly call home. 

Born from the ideology of Islam, its existence does not endorse prejudices, racism and feelings of superiority at any level; but sincerely propagates the principles of equality, human rights, tolerance and empathy, in quest of the global peace and harmony. 

For more than seven decades, Pakistan, with its social and religious values, mutual congeniality, profound ethics and rich cultural diversity, has been a heaven for minorities, a sanctuary for the majority and a bastion of faith.

In the same context, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah said in his historic address to the Constituent Assembly on Aug. 11, 1947: “We are members of the brotherhood of Islam in which all are equal in rights, dignity and self-respect. Consequently, we have a special and a very deep sense of unity. You may belong to any religion, caste or creed — that has nothing to do with the business of the state. With faith, discipline and selfless devotion to duty, there is nothing worthwhile that you cannot achieve.”

Carrying forward the legacy of our predecessors, the prevalent conditions worldwide in general and Pakistan in particular demand that we make serious efforts to work toward the progress and prosperity of human race at large. 

Alongside the advancement in science and technology, trade and commerce, now is the time to stir in ourselves the attributes of kindness and compassion, while keeping our integrity and not being judgmental.

Being the true heirs of our homeland and real architects of this country, our youths and students must pay attention to education and work toward realizing the dreams of our ancestors while celebrating their achievements. 

Today is the day to renew our pledge to fulfill our responsibilities with full sincerity and cause a ripple effect of positive change by setting examples of excellence. 

On this special day, while extending my heartfelt felicitation to all Pakistanis across the globe, I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their commitment to keeping the bond of our Pakistani-Saudi relationship strong. 

May Allah Almighty enable us to protect both the countries and guide us to work toward their progress and prosperity.

 

Time to work hard to make Pakistan invincible

Aamir Shahzad,, SMC Chairman, PISJ-Azizia:

We are proud to be Pakistanis. Let every one of us pledge on this Independence Day to make our country the most competent in the foreseeable future. This day reminds us of the sacrifices made for the creation of Pakistan.

Aug. 14 commemorates the formation of Pakistan, and, we at Pakistan International School Jeddah in Azizia (PISJ-Azizia) celebrate the 72 years of independence with great enthusiasm. 

We relish the spirit of the day by thanking Almighty Allah for blessing us with an independent state in which we can spend our lives according to our own culture and Islamic principles.

We are also proud of our forefathers who fought for this day. They sacrificed their lives for the great mission of achieving independence from the British rule and it is now time to work hard to make it stronger and invincible.

PISJ-Azizia is a prodigious institute established half a century ago. Under the supervision of the Saudi Ministry of Education and the Pakistani Embassy, I have been given the responsibility as the chairman of the School Management Committee (SMC) and I want to say that the aim of the members of our committee is only to further the interests of this institute and the Pakistani community. 

With another year of excellent results, PISJ-Azizia continues its tradition of progress and development on the academic front.

All students passed the matriculation and intermediate examinations with flying colors under the Federal Board of Education (FBISE) Pakistan. Congratulations to our students and teachers. Together, they have set new standards with an excellent results, inching another step closer to their personal and professional development. 

The students in this institute are our future and the SMC aims to prepare students for practical challenges in life and to become an effective part of society. 

To the SMC members, principal of the school, Pakistani Embassy staff, students, and the Pakistani community living in the Kingdom, I wish you all a happy and blessed Independence Day. 

 

 


Bangladesh orders banks to assist UK minister graft probe

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Bangladesh orders banks to assist UK minister graft probe

Dhaka: Bangladesh money laundering investigators have ordered the country’s big banks to hand over details of transactions relating to British anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq in an ongoing graft probe, officers told AFP.
Siddiq is the niece of former Bangladeshi premier Sheikh Hasina, who fled abroad last August after a student-led uprising against her iron-fisted tenure.
Last month the national anti-corruption commission launched a probe into the alleged embezzlement by Hasina’s family of $5 billion connected to a Russian-funded nuclear power plant.
Two officials from the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Bangladeshi banks had been instructed to furnish any financial records relating to Siddiq.
A BFIU document issued Tuesday and seen by AFP showed that banks had also been told to provide transaction records for Hasina, her son and daughter, Siddiq’s two siblings and her mother Sheikh Rehana.
The kickback allegations relate to the $12.65 billion Rooppur nuclear plant, which was bankrolled by Moscow with a 90 percent loan.
“The claims of kickbacks, mismanagement, money laundering, and potential abuse of power raise significant concerns about the integrity of the project and the use of public funds,” the anti-corruption commission said last month when announcing the probe.
The order came a day after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer revealed that Siddiq had referred herself to his standards adviser.
Siddiq insists she has done nothing wrong and a spokesman for Starmer said he retains “full confidence” in her.
The referral came after the Sunday Times and Financial Times newspapers reported that she had lived in properties linked to her aunt Sheikh Hasina’s administration.
“In recent weeks I have been the subject of media reporting, much of it inaccurate, about my financial affairs and my family’s links to the former government of Bangladesh,” Siddiq wrote in her letter to ministerial standards watchdog Laurie Magnus.
“I am clear that I have done nothing wrong,” she added. “However, for the avoidance of doubt, I would like you to independently establish the facts about these matters.”
Her aunt Hasina, 77, fled Bangladesh by helicopter on August 5, shortly before protesters stormed her palace in the capital Dhaka.
She remains in neighboring India but the interim government that replaced her has demanded her extradition to face trial for the police killing of protesters during the revolt against her regime.

US seeks prisoner swap with Afghanistan involving Guantanamo detainee arrested in Pakistan — media

Updated 35 min 14 sec ago
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US seeks prisoner swap with Afghanistan involving Guantanamo detainee arrested in Pakistan — media

  • Outgoing US administration seeks to bring back three Americans in exchange for Muhammad Rahim Al-Afghani
  • Al-Aghani reportedly had ties with bin Laden and was the last person brought to the CIA interrogation program

WASHINGTON: The Biden administration is negotiating with Afghanistan to exchange Americans detained in the country for at least one high-profile prisoner held in Guantanamo Bay with alleged ties to former Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
Representatives of the White House and the US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report. Representatives for the Afghan Taliban also did not immediately respond.
US President Joe Biden’s administration is seeking the return of three Americans seized in 2022 — Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi — in exchange for Muhammad Rahim Al-Afghani, the WSJ reported.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed to Reuters that the Biden administration has been negotiating with the Taliban since at least July on a US proposal to exchange Corbett, Glezmann and Habibi for Rahim.
The Taliban, who deny holding Habibi, countered with an offer to exchange Glezmann and Corbett for Rahim and two others, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Corbett and Habibi were detained in separate incidents in August 2022 a year after the Taliban seized Kabul amid the chaotic US troop withdrawal. Glezmann was detained later in 2022 while visiting as a tourist.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council said they could not confirm the WSJ story, but added that the administration was “working around the clock” to secure the release of the three Americans.
Rahim’s lawyer, James Connell, told Reuters that neither the Biden administration nor the Taliban had informed him or Rahim of the negotiations.
“It does seem important to include Rahim or his representative in the conversation,” said Connell. “As it happens, he is willing to be traded or exchanged.”
Rahim was “the last person brought into the CIA torture program,” said Connell, referring to an agency program instituted after the Sept. 11, 2001, Al Qaeda attacks that used harsh interrogation methods on suspected Islamist militants.
The CIA denies the methods amounted to torture.
A Senate intelligence committee report on the agency’s so-called enhanced interrogation program called Rahim an “Al Qaeda facilitator” and said that he was arrested in Pakistan in June 2007 and “rendered” to the CIA the following month.
He was kept in a secret CIA “black site,” where he was subjected to tough interrogation methods, including extensive sleep deprivation, and then sent to Guantanamo Bay in March 2008, the report said.
The US-Taliban talks have been in motion since July, according to the WSJ, which cited sources who attended a classified House Foreign Affairs Committee briefing last month with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
On Monday, Biden’s administration sent 11 Guantanamo detainees to Oman, reducing the prisoner population at the detention center in Cuba by nearly half as part of its effort to close the facility as the president prepares to leave office Jan. 20.
 


Blinken in Paris to discuss Mideast, receive honor

Updated 54 min 38 sec ago
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Blinken in Paris to discuss Mideast, receive honor

  • The top US diplomat arrived early on Wednesday in Paris after stops in Japan and South Korea
Paris: Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday began a visit to Paris in which he will receive France’s highest honor and seek further coordination on the turbulent Middle East.
The top US diplomat arrived early on Wednesday in Paris after stops in Japan and South Korea on what is expected to be his final trip before he is slated to be replaced with Marco Rubio once President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated on January 20, according to an AFP reporter traveling with him.
Blinken will meet President Emmanuel Macron, who will decorate him with the Legion of Honour, France’s highest order of merit.
The award will be especially poignant for Blinken, a fluent French speaker who spent part of his childhood in Paris and has spoken of France’s role in forming his worldview.
The decision to recognize Blinken also shows the full turnaround in relations since the start of President Joe Biden’s term in 2021, when France was infuriated after the United States forged a new three-way alliance with Britain and Australia that resulted in the rescinding of a lucrative contract for French submarines.
Biden and Blinken have repeatedly said that their priority has been to nurture ties with US allies and partners — a sharp contrast with Trump, who even before taking office has not ruled out military force to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal.
Blinken will also meet Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot for talks focused on the Middle East including Syria, where Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar Assad last month.
Barrot visited Damascus last week with his German counterpart, part of cautious Western efforts to engage with the new Syrian leadership and encourage stability after a brutal civil war that contributed to the rise of the Islamic State extremist group and a migration crisis that rocked European politics.
Blinken on Monday said that he will also work until his final hours in the job for a ceasefire in Gaza, as the United States and Qatar step up indirect diplomacy between Israel and Hamas.
Blinken on Thursday will head to Rome for talks with European counterparts on Syria before joining Biden on his final international trip in which the US president will see Pope Francis.

Wildfire rages in Los Angeles, forcing 30,000 to evacuate

Updated 08 January 2025
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Wildfire rages in Los Angeles, forcing 30,000 to evacuate

  • Wildfire forces 30,000 evacuations in upscale Los Angeles area
  • Evacuations cause traffic jams, residents flee on foot

LOS ANGELES: A rapidly growing wildfire raged across an upscale section of Los Angeles on Tuesday, destroying homes and creating traffic jams as 30,000 people evacuated beneath huge plumes of smoke that covered much of the metropolitan area.
At least 2,921 acres (1,182 hectares) of the Pacific Palisades area between the coastal settlements of Santa Monica and Malibu had burned, officials said, after they had already warned of extreme fire danger from powerful winds that arrived following extended dry weather.
The fire spread as officials warned the worst wind conditions were expected to come overnight, leading to concerns that more neighborhoods could be forced to flee. The city of Santa Monica later ordered evacuations in the northern fringe of town.
Witnesses reported a number homes on fire with flames nearly scorching their cars when people fled the hills of Topanga Canyon, as the fire spread from there down to the Pacific Ocean.
“We feel very blessed at this point that there’s no injuries that are reported,” Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told a press conference, adding that more than 25,000 people in 10,000 homes were threatened.
Firefighters in aircraft scooped water from the sea to drop it on the nearby flames. Flames engulfed homes and bulldozers cleared abandoned vehicles from roads so emergency vehicles could pass, television images showed.
As the sun set over Los Angeles, towering orange flames illuminated the hills leading to Topanga Canyon.
The fire singed some trees on the grounds of the Getty Villa, a museum loaded with priceless works of art, but the collection remained safe largely because of preventive efforts to trim brush surrounding the buildings, the museum said.
With only one major road leading from the canyon to the coast, and only one coastal highway leading to safety, traffic crawled to a halt, leading people to flee on foot.
Cindy Festa, a Pacific Palisades resident, said that as she evacuated out of the canyon, fires were “this close to the cars,” demonstrating with her thumb and forefinger.
“People left their cars on Palisades Drive. Burning up the hillside. The palm trees — everything is going,” Festa said from her car.
Before the fire started, the National Weather Service had issued its highest alert for extreme fire conditions for much of Los Angeles County from Tuesday through Thursday, predicting wind gusts of 50 to 80 mph (80 to 130 kph).
With low humidity and dry vegetation due to a lack of rain, the conditions were “about as bad as it gets in terms of fire weather,” the Los Angeles office of the National Weather Service said on X.
Governor Gavin Newsom, who declared a state of emergency, said the state positioned personnel, firetrucks and aircraft elsewhere in Southern California because of the fire danger to the wider region, he added.
“Hopefully, we’re wrong, but we’re anticipating other fires happening concurrently,” Newsom told the press conference.
A second blaze dubbed the Eaton Fire later broke out some 30 miles (50 km) inland in the foothills above Pasadena, consuming 200 acres (80 hectares), Cal Fire said.
The powerful winds changed President Joe Biden’s travel plans, grounding Air Force One in Los Angeles. He had planned to make a short flight inland to the Coachella Valley for a ceremony to create two new national monuments in California but the event was rescheduled for a later date at the White House.
“I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire,” Biden said in statement. A federal grant had already been approved to help reimburse the state of California for its fire response, Biden said.
Pacific Palisades is home to several Hollywood stars. Actor James Woods said on X he was able to evacuate but added, “I do not know at this moment if our home is still standing.”
Actor Steve Guttenberg told KTLA television that friends of his were impeded from evacuating because others had abandoned their cars in the road.
“It’s really important for everybody to band together and don’t worry about your personal property. Just get out,” Guttenberg said. “Get your loved ones and get out.”


Wild weather halted ferries between New Zealand’s main islands again. Why isn’t there a tunnel?

Updated 08 January 2025
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Wild weather halted ferries between New Zealand’s main islands again. Why isn’t there a tunnel?

WELLINGTON: Wild weather during New Zealand ‘s peak summer holiday period has disrupted travel for thousands of passengers on ferries that cross the sea between the country’s main islands.
The havoc wrought by huge swells and gales in the deep and turbulent Cook Strait between the North and South Islands is a recurring feature of the country’s roughest weather. Breakdowns of New Zealand’s aging ferries have also caused delays.
But unlike in Britain and Japan, New Zealand has not seriously considered an undersea tunnel beneath the strait that more than 1 million people cross by sea each year. Although every New Zealander has an opinion on the idea, the last time a prime minister was known to have suggested building one was in 1904.
A tunnel or bridge crossing the approximately 25-30 kilometers (15-18 miles) of volatile sea is so unlikely for the same reason that regularly vexes the country’s planners — solutions for traversing New Zealand’s remote, rugged and hazard-prone terrain are logistically fraught, analysts said.
Why isn’t a tunnel practical?
A Cook Strait tunnel would dramatically reduce the three- to four-hour sailing time between the North Island, home to 75 percent of the population, and the South.
“But it would chew up, off the top of my head, about 20 years of the country’s entire transport infrastructure development budget in one project,” said Nicolas Reid, transport planner at MRCagney.
He estimated a cost for a tunnel of 50 billion New Zealand dollars ($28 billion), comparable in today’s terms to the price of the undersea tunnel that connects Britain and Europe by rail. New Zealand is the same size as the United Kingdom — but the UK has a population of 69 million, more than 13 times New Zealand’s.
It’s also about the same size as Japan, which is home to the Seikan undersea rail tunnel connecting the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido — and has a population of 124 million.
“We have a large infrastructure burden if we want to reach out across the country,” said Reid. “And we’ve only got 5 million people to pay for it.”
New Zealand’s volatile ground could also prove a problem. Perched on the boundary between tectonic plates, fault lines run under both the North and South Islands and earthquakes are sometimes centered in the strait, said seismologist John Risteau of GNS.
Opposing tides and winds make journeys unpredictable
Sailing on both Cook Strait ferry services — which have five ships transporting people, vehicles and freight — resumed Tuesday after two days of dangerous waves. Clearing the backlog meant more waiting and some passengers on one carrier said they could not book a new berth for a fortnight.
The Cook Strait is less calm than many worldwide because it features opposing tides at each end — one where it joins the Tasman Sea and the other where it meets the Pacific Ocean.
“We tend to have the prevailing, dominating wind funnel through Cook Strait, northerlies or southerlies, and that’s why they’re stronger there,” said Gerard Bellam, a forecaster for the weather agency MetService. Swells in the strait this week reached 9 meters (30 feet), he said.
Julia Rufey, an English tourist waiting at the Wellington terminal, said she had flown between North Island and South Island on previous trips, but “adventure” had prompted her to choose the ferry.
“We thought, come to Wellington, try the ferry, which is already 3 1/2 hours late,” she said.
No clear plans on what to do about aging ferries
The ferries themselves, prone to breakdowns and more than half of them state-owned, have long been a political hot potato. The current government scrapped their predecessors’ plan to replace the vessels before they become defunct in 2029 as too costly. The opposition has criticized the government for only partly revealing its new ferry replacement plan in December and for not divulging the cost.
Still, some delayed on Tuesday said they would choose the ferry even if they had alternatives. Laurie Perino, an Australian tourist, said the pristine and scenic ocean views had prompted her to book.
“It would be more convenient,” she said, referring to a Cook Strait tunnel. “But I think a lot of people would still like to travel on the ferry.”