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Pakistan federal minister for environment and local government Omar Asghar Khan has said that the sanctity of Kirthar National Park in Sindh province should be preserved while assessing the gas potential in the area. "Any such effort in this area must proceed in a systematic manner with due consideration to environmental protection,' he said, while talking to officials of ministry of petroleum and natural resources recently.

In July 1997, the government through its ministry of petroleum and natural resources issued a licence to Premier Exploration Pakistan Limited (PEPL) for exploration in Dumbar block. However, the Sindh wildlife department did not agree with this as the Wildlife Act clearly states that exploration for mining is not allowed ( Down To Earth, Vol 8, No 13).

Earlier, the officials briefed the minister in detail on the possibility of discovering gas in the Dumbar block concession area, which partly falls in the Kirthar National Park. While speaking on the occasion, the minister said that a baseline survey and an environmental impact assessment (EIA) should precede any such venture in future. The minister also emphasised that the local communities, non-governmental organisations and provincial authorities should be fully associated and involved in carrying out these assessments.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (Pakistan), in an earlier release, said there was not enough information available on the status of wildlife and natural resources of the Kirthar National Park. Keeping in view the deadlock created due to two divergent opinions about the issue, WWF recommended a detailed ecological assessment of the park's resources before conducting oil or gas exploration-related activities within the park. The NGO also suggested that the government conduct a detail assessment of the park, covering all seasons of the year.

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