Amusement Park Planned In Pakistan Town Where Bin Laden Died

An amusement park is planned in the Pakistan town where Osama bin Laden died. The amusement park and outdoor activity center will cost $30 million.

It will be build on the edge of Abbottabad, where US special forces infiltrated bin Laden’s compound and killed him.

The private venture will include a zoo, water sports, a mini-golf course, rock climbing, and paragliding, reports Yahoo! News. Jamaluddin Khan, the deputy provincial minister for tourism, stated, “The project will take five years to complete.”

US Navy SEALs killed the al Qaeda leader in 2011 during a secret raid on the town, locate in the Himalayan foothills. Since then, authorities have demolished the white villa where bin Laden lived.

Senior regional official Khalid Omarzai stated that he advised the government to build houses for local officials on the grounds. Omarzai added that some people asked for a public park to be built on the now-vacant land. He rejected the idea, however, because some may have called it “Osama Park.”

The Huffington Post notes that the project was announced as a public-private partnership. The governor of the province hopes that the amusement park in Pakistan will boost tourism to the town shamed by the bin Laden raid. Syed Aqil Shah, the provincial minister for tourism and sports, stated:

“The amusement city will be built on 50 acres in the first phase but later will be extended to 500 acres. It will have a heritage park, wildlife zoo, food street, adventure and paragliding clubs, waterfalls and jogging tracks.”

Aqil Shah added that work on the amusement park will begin in late February or early March. He added that the new development “has nothing to do with Osama bin Laden.” Instead, he explained:

“We are working to promote tourism and amusement facilities in the whole province and this project is one of those facilities.”

Would you consider going to an amusement park in the same Pakistan town where Osama bin Laden was killed?

[Image via Fraz.khalid1 (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons]