This week Rangers chief executive Charles Green refused to apologise after publically calling his business partner Imran Ahmad “My Paki Friend”.

Green said it was in meant in a “light-hearted” way.

Mr Green, there is never an excuse to use the term ‘Paki’; it is a racially offensive term that should never be used by someone who does not have Pakistani heritage.

Actually you can also argue that it should not be used by anyone.

The word "Paki" dated from the late 1960s and early 1970s when incidents of "Paki bashing" took place with the result that the term had become associated with violence towards a race.

Charles Green is not alone when it comes to using the word Paki – in 2009 Prince Harry was caught on video referring to his colleague Ahmed Raza Khan as "our little Paki friend".

A statement at the time that came from St James’s Palace said "Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term can be, and is extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause.

"However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon.”

So does being highly popular mean that you have got to be racially abused?

I find it hard to believe that anyone who uses that term is not aware of the offensive nature of it. That said at least the Prince did apologise, unlike Mr Green.

Someone once told me that the term Paki was the same as calling someone a Brit, or an Australian person an Aussie.

No it is not the same, it is a word that is used as a prelude to violence, whether provoking or offering.

It is not affectionate, it’s derogatory and anyone that has been called this will appreciate just how offensive and hurtful it is.

It is most patronising when people who are not on the receiving end of a racial insult tell others that are that the slur is not offensive – in a way it is like trying to claim ownership of that word, putting us in our place.

The media has not helped, often it is suggested that we Pakistanis cannot take a joke, and that these things are supposed to be humorous and any offence taken is “PC gone mad”.

In the popular press there is not a day that goes by where you don’t see an article on someone saying they “playing the race card” usually suggesting it is for financial reasons.

What would have happened if Charles Green would have used such a slur on another community?

Well, unless he is looking to commit career suicide then he probably wouldn’t, but let’s say he did, would he still say that he refuses to apologise…?

It seems some communities are seen as ‘fair game’. You can probably imagine which ones those are...

So however affectionate you think you are being, calling your ‘friend’ Paki, when you are not Pakistani yourself (you could just use their actual name, even if you are Pakistani yourself) please don’t. In a civilised society such as ours, this is wrong on so many levels.