A court in Pakistan ruled yesterday that Britain’s Premier Oil can go ahead with plans to test for natural gas in the country’s largest national park, which is home to rare urial sheep, ibex, and chinkara gazelle. Shehri-Citizens for a Better Environment and Friends of the Earth International say Premier’s exploratory surveys would threaten the animals and disturb the 20,000 tribal people living in the park. They plan to appeal the ruling to the country’s Supreme Court. For its part, Premier says it will minimize the environmental impact of the operation, going so far as to travel by camel where there are no roads.
