I can't say Imran Khan's name on TV-this madness has to end

I am not a big fan of Imran Khan. I have long criticised Pakistan's former prime minister, but now it is becoming difficult to do so. There is a de facto ban on referring to him in the media, meaning we are no longer allowed to mention his name or show his picture.

- Hamid Mir

Pakistani TV channels are not allowed to interview him or air his statements. This is the result of a series of directives issued by the media regulator.

As prime minister, Khan tried to turn Pakistan from a struggling democracy into an autocracy. His successor, Shehbaz Sharif, appears to be following in his footsteps.

Once upon a time I was one of Khan's favourite journalists (despite the fact that I advised him in 1995 not to go into politics). When I was banned from broadcasting my talkshow in 2007 by the Musharraf regime, Khan stood by me.

He used to participate in my roadside shows and aggressively criticised the anti-media policies of a military dictator. When I survived an assassination attempt in 2014, Khan told the media: "Hamid Mir is my favourite TV anchor." Then, in 2018, he became prime minister.

The next year, an interview I had conducted with former president Asif Ali Zardari was pulled from the air. The media regulator under Khan's watch also banned former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's speeches from being aired on Pakistani media.