The interim Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is in Pakistan on a three-day visit. This is the first visit of a high-powered delegation to Pakistan after the Taliban seized power in August this year. 

The challenges in Afghanistan are formidable. The odds are heavy. Resources both financial and managerial are virtually non-existent. Expectations are high. Poverty is at its peak and unemployment has gone beyond 80 percent. 

As a total Taliban victory has occurred in Afghanistan, some observers and countries are calling upon Islamabad to play its role in bringing an end to all hostilities. Such advice ignores ground realities. 

In the growing pessimism for any political breakthrough in war-torn Afghanistan, there is some good news. Taliban delegations have visited Tehran and Moscow for seeking some common ground in a bid to find a workable formula for ending the long conflict.