ISLAMABAD, May 30: The apex court is likely to take up on Thursday a complaint of the government and a contempt of court petition on alleged derogatory remarks against the government and senior judges during a recent function held on the Supreme Court premises.

The matter will be placed before a Supreme Court bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Javed Iqbal and Justice Sardar Mohammad Raza Khan.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Interior had requested the apex court through a letter to take notice of “misbehaviour” of lawyers and “derogatory remarks” made against the government, departments and senior judges during a seminar on the Supreme Court premises also addressed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

An interior ministry spokesman had accused lawyers of violating the Supreme Court directives, saying Acting Chief Justice Rana Bhagwandas had allowed using the Supreme Court auditorium on the condition that the occasion would not be used for any political speeches or character assassination.

Shahid Orakzai filed the contempt of court petition against the Supreme Court Bar Association for holding “political activity and misusing the Supreme Court auditorium” on Saturday last in the name of the seminar.

Mr Orakzai stated in his petition that lawyers attending the seminar had misused the liberty of freedom of speech under Article 19 of the Constitution.

SCBA president Munir A. Malik is respondent in the petition.