ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party leader Senator Abdul Rehman Malik on Sunday appealed to the Afghanistan interior minister to arrest the Tehreek e Taliban (TTP) leader Ikramullah Mehsud and hand him over to Pakistan.

“I appeal to the Haqqani Network and Afghanistan interior minister to arrest Ikramullah and hand him over to us, because we need him,” he said in a statement on the occasion of launching ceremony of his book ‘Assassination of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’ at the Institute of Research & Reforms (IRR) Pakistan in Islamabad.

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Ikramullah is the prime suspect of the December 2007 attack on late Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan.

Before the Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi, attack, Benazir Bhutto was targeted earlier as well, the PPP leader said adding that the incompetence of the government also led to the murder of Benazir.

“Why didn’t you give security to Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto? I want the criminals to be punished,” he said.

The former interior minister expressed resentment towards the Afghan Taliban as well saying that Pakistanis sacrificed their lives for them and helped their refugees, but they were supporting the enemies of Pakistan.

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“You want to sit on both sides – with the TTP and Pakistan,” he said adding that the TTP was a declared terrorist group.

The PPP leader said the TTP again resorted to attacks after negotiations with the government. “They have been attacking Pakistani forces for four days, how can we tolerate it?” he asked.