The diplomatic row between India and Pakistan has deepened as both countries expel each other's diplomats.

Pakistan has ordered India's acting high commissioner and four others to leave in a tit-for-tat move following similar action taken by Delhi earlier in the day.

India accuses Pakistan of stoking unrest in Kashmir

Pakistan's move came after India ordered Pakistan's top envoy to leave the country within 48 hours after accusing him of channelling money to separatists in Kashmir.

Jalil Abbas Jilani, Pakistan's acting High Commissioner, was told to leave along with four other officials.

Our correspondent in Islamabad, Zaffar Abbas, says Pakistan's response was expected.

"Although expulsions of embassy officials is a routine affair between India and Pakistan, this is the first time in more than 30 years that such high-ranking diplomats have been ordered to leave," he said.

Delhi accuses Mr Jilani of passing thousands of dollars to Kashmiri separatist activists, according to Navtej Sarna, a spokesman for India's ministry of external affairs.

Mr Jilani denies the charges. He has been in the post since Delhi ordered the last Pakistani high commissioner out following a December 2001 attack on the Indian parliament.

"I can tell you that this is yet another crude attempt to harass and intimidate the Pakistan high commission officials," he said on Friday in response to the funding allegations.

He said there was "absolutely no precedent" in relations between Delhi and Islamabad for "implicating the senior diplomats of the two countries in such fabricated charges".

In Islamabad, the Pakistani foreign ministry summoned India's Charge d'Affaires, Sudhir Vyas, to protest against the "ridiculous and baseless" allegations made against Mr Jilani.

Arrests

But India's foreign affairs spokesman said that the Pakistani diplomat had been "found indulging in activities incompatible with his official status".

"His withdrawal from India is sought within the next 48 hours," he said.

On Thursday, Indian police arrested two activists from the separatist organisation Hurriyat, Anjum Jamrud Habib and Shabbir Dar, on charges of financing militants and said they had received funding from the Pakistani high commission.

Kashmir has been the cause of wars between India and Pakistan for decades and the two regional powers, which recently both produced nuclear weapons, nearly went to war again after the 2001 attack on the Indian parliament.