Former UN envoy Kai Eide explains why he held talks with the Taliban

Kai Eide, the UN's Special Representative to Afghanistan until earlier this month, has strongly criticized Pakistan for its recent arrest of prominent Taliban leaders.

In his first interview since leaving office, Mr Eide confirmed for the first time to BBC's Lyse Doucet that he had held talks with senior Taliban representatives, but that channels of communication had shut down after the arrests.

Mr Eide was sent to Kabul two years ago to bring a new impetus to international efforts in Afghanistan, at a time when relations between Kabul and the international community were in crisis:

First broadcast 18 March 2010