'Before Judging...': Wife Of Pakistani Man, Who Threatened To Rape Air Hostess, Defends Him

Last Updated:August 08, 2025, 18:58 IST

Salman Iftikhar was jailed for 15 months for threatening to rape Virgin Atlantic flight attendant. His supermodel wife, Abeer Rizvi, defended him, citing his mental health issues.

Salman Iftikhar had threatened to rape a Virgin Atlantic flight attendant.

Days after a Pakistan-origin man was jailed for issuing rape threats to a Virgin Atlantic flight attendant, his supermodel wife defended him on social media.

Abeer Rizvi blamed her husband Salman Iftikhar’s mental health issues for his abusive behaviour towards the Virgin Atlantic flight attendant during an eight-hour flight in 2023, according toa report in New York Post.

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

Iftikhar, the founder and director of Staffing Match, a UK-based recruitment company, is married to both Rizvi and Erum Salman, according to the Daily Mail.

Rizvi resides in Pakistan, where she operates a salon and posts glitzy photos of herself on social media to her half-million followers on TikTok and Instagram.

What Happened On Flight?

A father of three and husband to two wives, Iftikhar was travelling in the first-class section on February 7, 2023 when he became enraged after being asked to stop taking ice from the onboard bar.

Iftikhar, who had been consuming champagne as he travelled with his wife Erum Salman and their three children, verbally abused and threatened a flight attendent saying she would be dragged out of her hotel room, gang raped and set on fire.

The entire incident was captured on camera by a co-passenger. The video showed Iftikhar accusing the flight attendant of being a racist. In the video, he was heard saying, “You called me a Pa-i in front of everybody."

When cabin crew asked him to return to his seat, Iftikhar replied, “Don’t tell me what to do you racist f—ing b–ch. I know where you are from in Cardiff."

Iftikhar was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his outburst on Tuesday during a hearing at Isleworth Crown Court.

The 37-year-old was arrested a year later, on March 16, 2024 at his home in Iver in England’s Buckinghamshire.

The victim, who was present in the court during the hearing, said: “I am a strong, brave, happy stewardess, and loved my job… I was working when all flights were grounded on 9/11, and I’ve even flown into a warzone. But this incident has broken me."

London, United Kingdom (UK)

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