Islamabad, Dec 21 (IANS)

Pakistan must learn and appreciate India's retaliation against the arrest and humiliation of a woman Indian diplomat in the US, a Pakistani newspaper said Saturday.

"We (Pakistan) must learn from and appreciate the fearlessness with which our neighbour has taken the US head on. Such matters are not to be taken lying down, as we most often tend to do," said an editorial in Daily Times.

"The retaliatory actions taken by the government and people of India have showed the world what any self-respecting country would do when their dignity and self-respect is at stake."

Khobragade, India's deputy consul general in New York, was arrested last week for allegedly underpaying her domestic Indian help and committing visa fraud to get her into the US.

The 39-year-old diplomat was strip-searched, cavity-searched and swabbed for DNA after her arrest. She was confined with criminals before being released on a $250,000 bail and made to surrender her passport.

"But the question arises that even if the accusation was true, was it grounds enough to handcuff a female diplomat and treat her with the same brutality that perhaps an armed or dangerous criminal would be?" asked the daily.

"It was excessive and inappropriate to say the least."

"Even so, it was downright insulting and inhumane to handcuff her outside her children's school and subject her to the torture of strip and cavity searches. The US must make amends otherwise this matter could cause real friction between the two countries," the daily added.

India has taken a slew of measures in protest against the humiliating treatment of Khobragade, leading to an unprecedented chill in Indo-US relations.