Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, currently on a four-day study visit to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, on Tuesday called on J-K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at Dachigam National Park here and exchanged views on matters relating to border management, regional development and issues of national importance connected with India's external affairs.
The committee, chaired by Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor, briefed the chief minister about the objectives of its visit and its engagements across J-K. The 13-member committee is undertaking the study tour to review strategic border security, foreign policy-related issues and the overall situation in frontier regions.
The committee, which had earlier visited Jammu, arrived in Srinagar on Tuesday as part of its programme to gain first-hand insights into border management, security preparedness and developmental issues in border areas.Welcoming the members, Chief Minister Abdullah appreciated the committee's visit to the region and underscored the importance of sustained engagement by parliamentary committees in understanding the aspirations, challenges and developmental needs of J-K, an official spokesman said.
The chief minister said such interactions provide an opportunity for informed policy discussions and contribute to strengthening governance and institutional coordination.
Abdullah also highlighted the significance of ensuring balanced development in border areas, with a focus on improving infrastructure, connectivity, public services and livelihood opportunities for the people living in these regions.
Meanwhile the Committee on External Affairs, led by MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday, flagged concerning delays in passport processing and police verification across Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh. The panel held intensive reviews with Regional Passport Office (RPO) authorities, local police, and postal departments to push for faster application processing times.The delegation visited the Passport Seva Kendra in Jammu and held high-level discussions with Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials to address the root causes of these unconscionable processing delays.
Speaking to media persons in Jammu, Tharoor said they had a very serious discussion with the regional passport office, the MEA representative from Delhi, police, and 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 and in Leh. On the whole, it's been a good start to the visit," he said.
Tharoor said they cannot publicly discuss matters that will only go into their report, but MPs have found it a very meaningful visit with strong and constructive discussions.Clarifying the scope of the visit, Tharoor said, "This is not a visit about checking the situation in Kashmir Valley.
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