India, Sept. 19 -- Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik has told the Delhi High Court that far from being a terrorist, he was repeatedly engaged by successive Indian governments for peace talks on Kashmir.

In written submissions filed in response to the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) plea seeking the death penalty against him, Malik claimed that six governments, from VP Singh to Manmohan Singh, had involved him in peace initiatives.

He said his engagement began in the early 2000s, when then Intelligence Bureau (IB) Special Director Ajit Doval met him in jail to convey the Vajpayee government's interest in dialogue. Malik said Doval later arranged meetings with IB Director Shyamal Dutta and National Security...