In apparent retaliation for India's expulsion of three Pakistani diplomats, the authorities in Islamabad say three officials in the Indian High Commission have been ordered out of the country.

Gopal Chandra Roy, Asit Bran Das and R. Sankaranarayanan have been told to leave Pakistan within the next week.

A Pakistani foreign ministry statement said they had been found indulging in activities incompatible with their official status - the exact wording used by India on Friday, when it told the Pakistani officials to go.

This latest statement said a strong protest had been lodged about the undesirable conduct and activities of the officials.

On Friday, Pakistani foreign ministry spokeman Tariq Altaf was quick to denounce the expulsions of diplomats Mohammad Khalil, Rana Mohammad Saghir and Mohammad Amin.

He said India's actions as unjustifiable, uncalled for and unwarranted.

Bad relations

Pakistan and India routinely accuse one another of spying and promoting acts of terrorism.

They have fought three wars since gaining independence from British rule in 1947.

Relations between the two countries are at a new low over the disputed territory of Kashmir, as well as the hijack in December of an Indian Airlines plane, in which Delhi said Islamabad was involved.

Fresh fighting in Kashmir erupted in the middle of last year that brought the two recently declared nuclear powers close to war.

Sporadic cross-border shelling has continued ever since.

Police in Indian-controlled Kashmir say a Muslim woman was killed on Saturday by a Pakistani shell that landed near her home.

"Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked artillery shelling in Kashmir's northern Kupwara district," a spokesman said.

"The Indian troops retaliated. Intense shelling is still continuing," he added.

President Clinton is due to visit the region next month, and has offered to mediate over Kashmir if both sides want him to.

India has consistently opposed outside mediation in the dispute.