The Pakistani city where Osama bin Laden was found and killed by US special forces is planning to build a $28 million amusement park in the hope of boosting tourism.
The 20-hectare riverside development on the edge of Abbottabad, where US Navy SEALs shot the al-Qaida leader dead on May 2, 2011, will include restaurants, a heritage centre and artificial waterfalls.
Abbottabad to be site of new amusement park. Photo: AP
The government of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province hopes the project, announced as a public-private partnership, will boost tourism but denied it was intended to improve the town's image after the humiliation of the bin Laden raid.
"The amusement city will be built on 50 acres in the first phase but later will be extended to 500 acres," Syed Aqil Shah, the provincial minister for tourism and sports, told AFP.
"It will have a heritage park, wildlife zoo, food street, adventure and paragliding clubs, waterfalls and jogging tracks."
Work is due to begin in late February or early March, he said, and will take eight years to complete. Funds worth three billion rupees (AUD $28 million) have been allocated, he said.
Abbottabad, a quiet, leafy town nestling in the foothills of the Himalayas around 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Islamabad, has long been a popular spot for well-heeled families from the capital to spend weekends away.
The town also houses Pakistan's elite military academy and the discovery of the world's most wanted man on its doorstep prompted allegations of incompetence or complicity between the armed forces and the 9/11 mastermind.
But Mr Shah insisted the new development was simply about promoting tourism, not polishing the town's tarnished image.
"This project has nothing to do with Osama bin Laden," he told AFP.
"We are working to promote tourism and amusement facilities in the whole province and this project is one of those facilities."
The authorities demolished the compound where bin Laden hid with his wives and children last February, fearing it could become a shrine to al-Qaida followers.
More In Travel
Unruly passenger forces plane to land over seat upgradeSurvey reveals most stylish cabin crew in Asia Pac
AirAsia X take off with child-free cabin
Spotlight on San Francisco
17 Comments
I think this is very good and positive story with negative headline. Osama bin laden was trained by CIA durring cold war with russia. We didn't even see picture of him dead and don't know if he was killed years before or this time US is telling truth. To answer Sharat,who no doubt is Indian, India and Pakistan were under British rule and both became independent in 1947. Sharat like upper class Hindus do hate Untouchables 50% of indian population, Muslims(this is where hate for Pakistan comes from) and Christiens. Muslims and Christiens are called 'OBC' in India(government term) which means "Other Backwards Classes". This means Untouchables and Muslims and christiens are backward classes. This creates huge racism and discrimination in all fields of life for these groups from seeking job to uni education, schooling etc. Further these so called backward groups cannot buy house in same locality as upper class Brahmins. Sharat you should voice getting more than 50% of Indian population out of slavery in 21st century and not make ignorant remarks. Good on you Pakistanis for making positive changes in face of chalanges!
Reply#$%$stan is a beautiful country with beautifull womens,#$%$stani men respect a women all over the world go and meet some #$%$
ReplySharat have you heard of the coalition and the three stooges,Bush USA, blair UK and Howard Australia. They all lied and deceived their respective nations and the world about invading Iraq and why the slaughter of tens' of thousands of iraqi women and children had to happen . So perhaps the Pakistani's aren't so bad?????
ReplyUmm Mark!!!! I am a caucasian aged female and I still get you are woman and I am the superior male from caucasian males here in Australia so we haven't progressed much further have we
1 ReplyA dirty putrid backwards country who treat with women with contempt. Pakistan should be blacklisted for its constant abuse against children and women not supported. What a joke.........
2 Replies