Islamabad, April 14 (IANS): The Punjab government on Tuesday challenged in the Supreme Court the Lahore High Court's order releasing Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

In a petition filed in the apex court by the Punjab home department, it was maintained that despite sufficiently strong evidence being present against Lakhvi, the Lahore court's Justice Anwarul Haq ignored it and ordered Lakhvi's release on April 10, Dawn online reported.

The apex court has been requested in the petition to suspend the Lahore High Court's decision to release Lakhvi and order that his detention be restored under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).

The Punjab government had previously maintained that Lakhvi has been detained based on "sensitive information" provided by intelligence agencies.

Lakhvi had challenged his fourth one-month detention on March 14, upon which the Lahore High Court had ordered his immediate release.

Lakhvi is among seven persons charged with planning and helping to carry out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

The six other men facing trial in Adiala Jail for their alleged involvement in the Mumbai attacks are Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Younas Anjum, Jamil Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Majid.

At the time of the attacks, Lakhvi was believed to be the operational head of the banned Lashkar-i-Taiba (LT) that has been accused by India of carrying out the attacks in India's financial capital.

Lakhvi, along with Zarar Shah, was allegedly the key planner of the attack in which 166 people were killed.