As a radical Islamist group reportedly linked to Al Qaida, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) aims to establish an Islamist Sunni state in Pakistan based on Sharia Law – through the use of violence if necessary – and to have all Shiites declared non-believers. It is reputed as being one of the most violent Islamist extremist organizations in Pakistan. Responsible for killing hundreds of Shiites since its formation in 1996, LJ was behind some of the worst incidents of sectarian violence in Pakistan's history. In October 2015, for example, a group of LJ members conducted a suicide attack at a Shiite mosque in Bolan, Baluchistan, killing at least 11 people and wounding another 13. More recently, in June 2017, LJ claimed responsibility for a double suicide bombing at a crowded market in Parachinar, Pakistan, which killed at least 67 people and wounded over 200 others.
