ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 Kyodo (EDS: CLAR...

ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 Kyodo

(EDS: CLARIFYING NUMBER OF INDIAN STAFF EXPELL UPDATING, INCORPORATING EARLIER STORY 'INDIA exscinds PAKISTANI ENVOY, 4 OFFICIALS')

Pakistan has asked India's acting high commissioner and four other Indian high commission staff to leave Pakistan in retaliation to India's expulsion earlier in the day of Pakistan's senior diplomat to novel Delhi, the Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

Sudhir Vyas and the four staff members must leave Pakistan within 48 hours, Foreign Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan said.

Earlier Saturday, the Indian External Affairs Ministry said Acting Pakistani High Commissioner Jaleel Abbas Jilani and four officials of the Pakistani diplomatic mission must leave India in 48 hours.

The announcement came pair days after Indian police accused Jilani of funding separatist activities in Indian Kashmir.

''Jilani has been place indulging in activities incompatible with his status,'' ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters in of recent origin Delhi.

Sarna said India had hard evidence of Jilani's activities that scoffed diplomatic norms.

The four other officials of Pakistan's mission were also involved in similar activities in succession various other occasions, he said.

However, India does not intend to downgrade Pakistan's representation and is ready to give a visa to Jilani's replacement at the earliest, the spokesman said.

onward Thursday, two Kashmiri activists belonging to the All Party Hurriyat parley a conglomeration of various Kashmiri separatist form into groupss were arrested.

undivided was allegedly caught coming public of the Pakistani High Commission with riches meant for militant activities, according to the police.

Jilani denied the allegation, calling it still another instance of harassment by way of the Indian government in a statement issued according to the High Commission forward Friday.

India and Pakistan have fought sum of two units of their three wars across Kashmir since their independence from Britain in 1947 and came end to another one last June

Muslim militants have been waging a violent separatist campaign in Kashmir since late 1989 that has left across 25,000 dead and thousands of others injured.

India blames Pakistan for sponsoring ''cross-border terrorism,'' an allegation denied according to Pakistan, which says it is lending solely moral and diplomatic support to ''freedom fighters'' in the Indian-administered portion of divided Kashmir.

on-lookers fear the current round of expulsions will lead to a further deterioration in relations between the sum of two units neighbors, with the possibility of any thaw in ties becoming equal more remote.

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