India News | External Affairs Panel to Study Indo-Pak, Sino-Indian Ties, Passport Sev Kendra Functioning: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 22 (ANI): 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."

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"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.

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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)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)