Islamabad, Dec.31 (ANI): Similar to any other incident, the Pakistani leadership and the officials have blamed 'foreign hands' for the deadly suicide attack on a Muharram procession in Karachi, in which over 40 people were killed, however, an editorial in one of the leading English dailies of the country has rejected the notion.

An editorial in The Daily Times pointed out that there were no foreign or hidden hand involved in the ghastly attack and the violence that followed, rather it was the enemies hiding within the country who had aimed to incite the sectarian fire.

"It would be tempting, and perhaps in accord with past practice, to blame the ubiquitous 'foreign' hand. But cooler reflection would indicate that the 'hidden' hand is very much indigenous and the injuries suffered are the result of self-inflicted wounds stemming from the past myopic policies of nurturing extremist militants for the export of jihad in the neighbourhood," the editorial said.

Masked miscreants were spotted in the immediate aftermath of the blast torching shops and buildings in the vicinity, which clearly highlights that it was a pre-planned strategy to inflict maximum damage.

"The 'hidden' hand behind these events needs probing, with the Taliban and sectarian groups such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi topping the cast of usual suspects," the editorial said. (ANI)