According to the news agency India expelled a Pakistani High Commission staff at New Delhi on Tuesday charging him of espionage. Pakistani government retaliated by expelling A B Shukla, an attache rank officer at the Indian High Commission, on Wednesday, it said.

A Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman confirmed the expulsion saying ``such things do happen in view of the state of relations between the two countries.''

The move had been kept secret in view of the foreign secretary level talks between the two countries scheduled for October 15-18, the agency said.Last year too both the countries had expelled one diplomat each on the eve of bilateral talks which broke down due to differences over the Kashmir issue.

Meanwhile, there was no immediate reaction to the expulsions by the External AffairsMinistry in New Delhi tonight.