External Affairs Panel to study Indo-Pak, Sino-Indian ties, Passport Sev Kendra functioning: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor
Jammu, June 22
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.
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.
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
Reader Comments
Tharoor is right to keep this strictly external affairs. Kashmir has enough domestic politics already 🙏 But passport seva kendras need major overhaul everywhere. My cousin in Jammu waited 8 months for renewal. Hope the committee’s suggestions actually get implemented this time, not just filed away.
Interesting that he’s studying both Indo-Pak and Sino-Indian ties together. These are completely different dynamics. Pakistan relations are stuck in terrorism and dialogue impasse, while China is about border skirmishes and economic competition. Hope they come up with practical recommendations, not just academic papers. The passport issue though is bread and butter for common people - definitely needs attention.
As someone who follows Indian foreign policy, it’s good to see parliamentary oversight. But Tharoor’s committee should also examine how our missions abroad interact with the Indian diaspora - that’s a key part of external affairs. Border studies are important but passport issues affect millions. Fair criticism: the timeline of 4 days for J&K seems short for such complex issues.
Finally someone talking about passport delays! It’s a nightmare for students wanting to study abroad or workers going to Gulf countries. But I wish the committee also looked at visa processing for tourists coming to India - that’s important for our economy too. Tharoor ji, please don’t forget the common citizen’s struggle with bureaucracy.
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