Gilani drops forestry park inauguration plan fearing backlash from PPP senator

Islamabad, Nov. 10 (ANI): An influential PPP senator reportedly told Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani not to inaugurate a model forestry park in Islamabad, and the latter did just that.

According to The News, the senator told Gilani that the 350-acre property located near Rawal Lake belonged to his ancestors and not to the Capital Development Authority (CDA), which acquired it from locals years back after paying them due compensations.

The park development plan on the property worth billions of rupees has now been dumped in the Planning Division, which referred the case to the cabinet division.

The powerful senator is now said to have used his political clout to an extent that even the CDA-sponsored project has now been dumped and might be scrapped in upcoming days.

Sources said everything was ready for the inauguration and Gilani had even given a date for the purpose.

But, the PPP senator sent a strong message to PM Gilani, warning him that if he dared to visit the area then he would face a strong protest by the locals led by him which would cause embarrassment to the party.

Gilani decided to 'fall in line' after he came to know the "intention" of his own party senator to defame him in public. (ANI)