The order of President Karzai that the Bagram Prison be transferred to Afghan control could be a positive step of transition, only if the conditions were to allow. A sudden reactionary move, this untimely demand of President Karzai to ask for immediate transfer of control at the most important prison in Afghanistan from international troops to Afghan officials is beyond rationality, if not a purely sensational angry response to the fact that his administration has been sidelined once again for the peace talks with Taliban.

The President has ordered a delegation to visit Bagram and take further steps to implement the order to transfer control from the US forces. The irony is that President Karzai ordered the transfer to happen within one month, citing reports of human rights violations. Media coverage of the recent report on condition of human rights violation in Afghan prisons is still in spotlight. And its ridiculous to say that in Afghan control, human rights conditions could be any better. Rather It should be a matter of grave concern if it happens.

Members of the delegation assigned by the President to visit Bagram prison has said: "Afghan constitution does not allow foreign prisons in Afghanistan". If sovereignty is not a joke for the Karzai Administration, they should have asked for the control of prison long ago. It would have been very much welcoming and positive, if President Karzai would have requested the US military to transfer control of the prison, saying that it is a part of the transition and better to happen now rather than 2014. But citing "violation of human rights" is what makes it ridiculous and reactionary.

The President's reaction is in response to a report by the Constitutional Oversight Commission about case of human rights violations and torture at the Bagram prison controlled by the US military.

But he did not reaction when recently a UN report exposed severe human rights abuses in Afghan prisons run by our own National Security Forces. Released in October last year, the report contained detailed information about 379 detainees in dozens of Afghan prisons run by National Directorate of Security and National Police. The report included cases of severe torture and other abuses.

The transfer of Bagram Prison could mean continuation of the same abuses mentioned in the so-called report by the Constitutional Oversight Commission. Indeed the process of transfer of control at Bagram should start not late before 2014. But it should be a responsible process. There are highly security risk terrorists detained and we do not want to see an episode like the mass breakout of Taliban from Kandahar Prison last year.