Pakistani Influencer Defends Husband Accused of Threatening to Rape Air Hostess

The spouse of the executive, Salman Iftikhar, recently convicted of threatening the flight attendant at Virgin Atlantic has spoken up in defense of the husband explaining that he did what he did due to mental health issues.

Social media personality Abeer Rizvi, affiliated to Pakistan, posted her opinion on Instagram a few days after Iftikhar was handed a 15-month jail term in 2023 because of his antics on an airliner.

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“Mental health is not a joke. Behind every story, there’s pain you don’t see,” Rizvi wrote on Instagram. “Before judging, try understanding. Be kind. Be human,” she added.

On February 7, 2023, Iftikhar, the owner of recruitment agency Staffing Match, was on the way to Lahore with his wife and their three kids when he started to get drunk and riotous, explained The New York Post.

On the first meal of the flight, Iftikhar (allegedly) drank champagne in the presence of his children and became rowdy, including stretching towards the counter to grab some ice with his bare hands, which prompted cabin crew to request Iftikhar to take his seat, the report said.

After being requested to oblige, Iftikhar started raging on the flight attendants, making racist and threatening statements and subsequently, giving out the name of the hotel in which the lead flight attendant, Angie Walsh, was staying by making further threats.

According to the Mirror, he said she “will be dead,” and added, “The floor of your hotel will be blown up and it will disappear. You will be dragged by your hair from your room and gang-raped and set on fire.”

According to the report, the officials were able to pacify Iftikhar and he stepped out of the flight in Pakistan without police measures.

Iftikhar had been arrested in March 2024, at his residence in England. After his arrest, his company, Staffing Match is recorded to have gone bankrupt and owed 22.8 million dollars.

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During his hearing at court, Iftikhar acknowledged threatening and racist harassment of Walsh but not the charges of harassment involving a physical assault on a male flight attendant.

Walsh has testified that the incident traumatised her and that it compelled her to stop working and take up 14 months of healing time.

“I am a strong, brave, happy stewardess, and loved my job,” she said in a victim impact statement. “I have flown with Virgin Atlantic for 37 years and faced many challenges, but this incident broke me,” she added.

Virgin Atlantic wrote about Walsh: using their own words they admitted that it took a lot of courage to speak out. The New York Post quoted a spokesperson saying, “The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and we take a zero-tolerance approach to disruptive or abusive behaviour on board. We support Angie fully and commend her bravery.”

Abeer Rizvi, the wife of Salman Iftikhar has not made any comments regarding the jail sentence imposed on him publicly.

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