A day after India expelled four Pakistan high commission staffers, Islamabad on Thursday retaliated by expelling same number of Indian officials, including three diplomats.

Pakistan foreign ministry said that three diplomats and a staffer of the Indian high commission have been asked to leave the country within 48 hours as they were found engaged in "activities that were incompatible with their official status."

India's Acting High Commissioner Sudhir Vyas was summoned to the foreign office and told about the expulsions.

Those expelled were Consellor Vipin Handa, Second Secretary R P Singh, Attache Vakil Ramdas and staffer P Sundaram.

All the four expelled officials were in the visa sections of the high commission.

While they have to leave within 48 hours, their families have been fiven seven days to leave the country.

India on Wednesday had ordered four staffers of Pakistan high commission, including two diplomats, to leave the country within 48 hours.