Islamabad, July 30 - Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has cocked a snook at the Supreme Court, failing to appear before it to defend his Nov 3, 2007 decision to impose an emergency and sack the apex court judges.

'I don't know what the apex court will do, but it can initiate high treason proceedings on its own,' Musharraf's top legal adviser Malik Qayyum told The News Wednesday outside Court No 1, where a 14-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard the arguments of petitioner Hamid Khan against the former president's actions.

Qayyum was present in court when Chaudhry asked if counsel was representing Musharraf. He remained seated as he did not have any instructions from the former president, who is currently in London.

'The Supreme Court has full authority to declare the Nov 3 proclamation and the subsequent acts unconstitutional,' Qayyum maintained.

The Supreme Court had July 24 issued summons to Musharraf to appear in person or through his counsel on Thursday after the federal government refused to defend him in court.