Considered by many the most secretive sectarian terrorist outfit in Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is the militant offshoot of the Sunni sectarian group Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) (the Army of Mohamed's companions).  The breakaway group was formed in 1996 by Akram Lahori, Malik Ishaque, and Riaz Basra, after they accused the SSP of deviating from the ideals of its slain co-founder, Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi.  The Sunni-Deobandi group focuses primarily on anti-Shia attacks and was banned by Pakistani President Musharraf in August 2001 as part of an effort to rein in sectarian violence.  Many of its members then sought refuge with the Taliban in Afghanistan, with whom they had existing ties. <p><br />A news report of October 2000 claimed that the LeJ had split into two factions, one headed by Riaz Basra (since deceased) and the other by the chief of the outfit's Majlis-al-Shura (Supreme Council), Qari Abdul Hai alias Qari Asadullah alias Talha.  The split reportedly occurred due to differences between the two over resumption of ethnic strife, which had decreased after the military coup in Pakistan in October 1999.  While Basra favored resumption of terrorist attacks against Shia targets in order to force the government to comply with the demands of the outfit, Talha opposed the plan as he reportedly felt it was suicidal not only for the organization but also for national solidarity.  Talha based his opinion on the assumption that, with a military regime in power, any armed activity would invite stern action against the LeJ. <p><p>The group has confirmed links with al Qaeda.  Recently LeJ banded with two other Sunni extremist groups (Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammed) and together they are said to form the Pakistani wing of al Qaeda.  In September 2002, three chemical labs were found in LeJ safe houses in Karachi.  According to Pakistani authorities, LeJ members are not sophisticated enough to have maintained the stores of cyanide and other toxic chemicals found in the labs.  They believe al Qaeda operatives, working with the LeJ, moved its chemical stores and shipments of gold out from Afghanistan to reestablish operations from Pakistan.