Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has asked his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Khatami to mediate between Pakistan and India on the issue of Kashmir.

"We appreciate the efforts of Iran to reduce the tension between Pakistan and India," Musharraf told Khatami at a dinner held on Monday night in honour of the first official visit by the Iranian head of state to Pakistan.

"We hope that you will use your good relations (with the Indian leaders) to convince India to agree to solve the conflict in Kashmir on the basis of... the wishes of the Kashmiri people," he said.

A few hours before Musharraf's request, the Iranian President -- who will also make an official visit to India in January -- had said that Iran hoped to be able to play "a positive role" in reducing tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Khatami started a three-day visit to Pakistan on Monday.