Shashi Tharoor-led panel in J&K to study Indo-Pak, Sino-Indian ties

Shashi Tharoor, in Jammu with the External Affairs Committee, clarified their visit's focus is on Indo-Pak/Sino-Indian relations and passport office functioning. The panel, not there to assess domestic issues, raised concerns about passport delays.

On visiting Passport Seva Kendra in Jammu, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday noted that the committee is focused on studying three matters, including Indo-Pak relations, Sino-Indian relations, and the functioning of passport offices and Passport Seva Kendras.

Committee's Mandate Clarified

Speaking to the reporters, Tharoor said that the committee will not look into the domestic issues in Jammu, as it is an "External Affairs Committee." "I have only talked about calling on the Governor. I have not had a chance to see other things or listen to other people's voices. I want to make it very clear that this is not a visit about assessing the conditions in the Kashmir Valley. The committee is here to study three issues: Indo-Pak relations, Sino-Indian relations, and the functioning of passport offices and passport seva kendras. These are the only issues we are studying. We are not here to look at domestic matters; that is not our mandate. We are the External Affairs Committee," he said.

Concerns Over Passport Delays

The Congress MP, along with the members of the Standing Committee, visited Jammu and Kashmir today and held talks with the officials at the Regional Passport Office and the External Affairs Ministry representative from Delhi. Earlier in the day, Tharoor expressed concerns about delays in the issuance of passports in Jammu and Kashmir during the visit. Tharoor told reporters, "We had conversations with the Regional Passport Office, the MEA representative from Delhi here. We've also had conversations with the police and with the postal department. We are concerned about some of the delays that have been impeding passport issuance in this area, and we have been raising some very strong questions because we want to see improvements and speeding up of the passport delivery for applicants in Kashmir, Leh, Srinagar and Jammu. The MPs here have found it a very meaningful visit, and we've had some very strong and constructive discussions."

Meanwhile, the members of the Committee are on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir from June 22 to 25. The agenda of the meeting includes 'Understanding India-China Relations and the way forward' with special reference to the Indo-China border, as well as 'Recent developments in India-Pakistan relations' with special reference to the India-Pakistan border. (ANI)

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