Pakistan plans $30M Abbotabad 'amusement city'

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Abbotabad, the town in Pakistan where Osama Bin Laden was killed by US Navy SEALs in May 2011, is to become the location of a $30 million "amusement city," Pakistan's government has announced.

The 50 acre riverside development on the edge of Abbottabad will also feature a zoo, a heritage park and "adventure clubs," for tourists' enjoyment. Restaurants, shopping, mini golf and a snake pit are also planned. The project is expected to extend out to 500 acres.

The town already houses Pakistan's elite military academy and the discovery of Osama Bin Laden so close by prompted allegations of incompetence or complicity between Pakistan and Bin Laden. But provincial minister for tourism and sports Syed Aqil Shah says the amusement park "has nothing to do with Osama bin Laden."

Abbottabad rests in the foothills of the Himalayas and is already popular spot for wealthier Pakistani families. According to the Pakistani government the planned amusement city is meant to cater to those families. Work is due to begin in February or March and will take eight years to complete.