Prime Minister Tony Abbott says “heads should roll” at the ABC over the decision to allow criminal Zaky Mallah on live TV this week.

Mr Abbott said there will be an “urgent government inquiry” into the live appearance of the former terror suspect, who appeared on the ABC’s Q&A program Monday night.

He said they were not satisfied with the current internal ABC investigation being undertaken into the matter.

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An ABC spokesman said the organisation “will cooperate as required”.

The PM’s comments come after Mr Mallah questioned Liberal MP Steve Ciobo on the Q&A program about proposed changes to citizenship laws.

Appearing as a vetted questioner in the audience, Mr Mallah said Australian Muslims were justified to travel to Syria to join Islamic State (ISIL).

Following the show, the ABC admitted it was an “error of judgment’’ to allow ASIO target Mr Mallah to appear on the show, and the decision was being examined as part of an independent review.

When questioned by reporters on Thursday, Mr Abbott said it was “utterly incomprehensible” that the ABC replayed the show on its network.

“Here we have the ABC admitting a ‘gross error of judgement’ and then compacting this terrible mistake – the betrayal of our country – by giving a platform to this convicted criminal and terrorism sympathiser,” he said.

“Heads should roll over this, heads should roll over this.”

He said Communication Minister Malcolm Turnbull had made a very strong representation to the ABC about the matter.

ABC managing director Mark Scott was grilled by several MPs on Wednesday on the network’s judgment in letting Mallah throw questions at a Q&A panel.