After reports of a green light from the US about opening of a Taliban office in Qatar, President Karzai showed displeasure over the fact that the Afghan Government was kept in dark on formal decision about such an office for Taliban. Afghan Ambassador to Doha was called to Kabul. Now after a week, it seems President Karzai has retracted from his early reaction and the Government has agreed on such an office for the Taliban. Those involved in the process have told some family members of the Taliban have already been moved to Qatar.

It seems everyone is in hurry. The US and its NATO allies are in rush to meet the withdrawal deadline promised to their citizens. Initially it was said that the Taliban office will be a political office with diplomatic privileges.

With such privileges and diplomatic immunity, they are given an international recognition of a sort. Apparently President Karzai has agreed to the office in Doha, though the Palace indicated in media statements that such an office of the Taliban would only acceptable in Saudi Arabia or Turkey.

The hurrying moves show that the entire process is being pushed ahead. Even the Karzai Administration has no real say in this process. They are labeling it as efforts for political settlement of the conflict in Afghanistan. It is more a narrative for the exit strategy of the US and its allies.

The people of Afghanistan are indeed supportive of all such moves for reconciliation with insurgents, but it does not mean that such a process should be aimed at temporary and short-term solution for the exit strategy narrative of the US and its NATO allies.

The people of Afghanistan want genuine reconciliation, a process in which justice, transparency and accountability are the basic considerations. We believe such a process being pushed to produce a desired result will not assure long term political stability in Afghanistan. The international community must recognize that the reconciliation process with the Taliban has to be transparent and genuine. It has to be a broad process under proper principles and vision.

The peace and reconciliation process must be led by the United Nations, with equal participation of all the domestic, regional and international stakeholders of the conflict in Afghanistan. If the international community ignore such demands and continue with an artificial process of "reconciliation" without participation of real stakeholders in the process, it will doom to failure and Afghanistan will have not have political stability and peace after major drawdown of international security forces.