PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Wednesday approved establishment of a state-of-the-art safari park in Nowshera district.

The decision, according to a statement issued by the chief minister`s secretariat, was taken in a meeting of the department of forests and environment.

The statement said that Mr Gandapur ordered to include the project in the next Annual Development Programme (ADP) for execution on ground, adding, the participants of the meeting were briefed on various aspects of the proposed safari park.

It was told that the proposed safari park would be established on 560 acres -twice the size of the Lahore Safari Park and would be established in Misri Banda, Nowshera, where government land was readily available.

`The site has been deemed highly suitable for such a project based on its location. The park is estimated to cost Rs3.5 billion and is expected to be completed within three years, the statement said.

It said that it would feature comprehensive facilities for tourists, including a botanical garden, bird enclosures, an aviary, a cultural village, and a natural history museum, adding that primary objectives of the park were to provide recreational opportunities to the public, conserve wildlife and plant species, promote eco-tourism, and create green employment opportunities.