Pakistani influencer Abeer Rizvi defends husband after prison sentence for threatening air hostess on London-Lahore flight
Pakistani influencer speaks out after husband's prison sentence
The incident occurred on 7 February 2023, when Iftikhar was travelling with his three children. Reports indicate that he had consumed excessive alcohol on board and became aggressive after being asked to return to his seat. He allegedly made threats to flight attendant Angie Walsh and attempted to physically assault another crew member, Tommy Merchant.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Iftikhar was not arrested upon landing in Pakistan. Authorities later apprehended him at his home in Iver, England, on 16 March 2024. At Isleworth Crown Court, he admitted to threatening to kill Walsh and racially harassing her but denied harassment towards Merchant.
Veteran flight attendant left traumatised
Angie Walsh, a cabin crew veteran with 37 years of service, has described the incident as deeply traumatising, saying it left her unable to work for over a year. Virgin Atlantic issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to the safety of passengers and crew, emphasising that it holds a zero-tolerance policy towards abusive behaviour.
Wife urges public to consider mental health
Following the sentencing on 5 August, Rizvi addressed the matter on Instagram, where she has more than 500,000 followers. She expressed that her husband's behaviour was the result of underlying mental health issues. According to her, it is important for the public to understand that unseen struggles can often lead to such incidents, and compassion should be shown before passing judgement.
Rizvi, who is based in Pakistan, is reported to be one of two women married to Iftikhar. Media sources claim that his second wife, Erum Salman, resides in the United Kingdom.
The case has attracted widespread attention due to the combination of high-profile individuals, aviation safety concerns, and the public discussion on mental health accountability.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
17 minutes ago
- The Hindu
DRDO Jaisalmer guest house manager caught spying for Pakistan, arrested
The guest house manager of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Jaisalmer, who was detained on suspicion of spying for Pakistan, has been arrested by Rajasthan police on grounds of substantial evidence. Mahendra Prasad, the accused, was produced before a court in Jaipur on Wednesday (August 13, 2025) and was sent to a two-day police remand. The accused, a resident of Uttarakhand's Almora, was posted as the manager of the DRDO guest house in Chandan area of Jaisalmer and was detained following intelligence inputs against him on August 4. After a joint interrogation in Jaipur, he was placed under arrest on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) night. Investigating officer Vinod Meena said that the accused had shared information related to missile testing and the movement of scientists with a Pakistani handler via social media. The accused had access to details regarding the visit of Indian scientists and DRDO officers to the firing range for various technical operations, including missile trials. 'Information about which scientists were coming and what kind of work they were doing was being shared by Mahendra with a Pakistani handler,' he said. The officer said that Mahendra was tracked over time, and sufficient evidence was gathered. Following this, he was detained, interrogated and arrested. 'During interrogation, it was revealed that Mahendra had been in contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives via social media platforms for a long time. He had been passing on information about missile trials and DRDO activities to them,' Mr. Meena said.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Exclusive: DRDO Guest House Manager Was Spying On Top Scientists For Pak
A 32-year-old man working as a manager at a Defence Research and Development Organisation or DRDO guest house in Jaisalmer was arrested Wednesday for allegedly spying for Pakistan. The accused man, Mahendra Prasad, working as a contractual employee at the guest house for the last five years, had access to personal information, like emails and telephone numbers, of the top scientists, which he is accused to have shared with Pakistan. After a week of intense joint interrogation, the accused was arrested by the Rajasthan police and taken in for a two-day police custody. Mahendra Prasad was the manager at the top secret DRDO guest house inside the Chandan Field firing range in Jaisalmer. This guest house hosts India's top scientists when they come to Pokhran and Chandan for experiments and testing of India's missile and defence systems. No civilian is allowed inside its premises. Its location, somewhere inside the Chandan field firing range, remains a mystery. Intelligence Bureau sources expressed surprise that a person on contract, an outsider, was given the task of managing a high-security guest house. MR Enterprises, a private company, was given the lease to run this guest house, hosting India's top scientists working on secret projects. "It's a serious security breach that as Manager of the guest house Mahendra Prasad was privy to information via letters and emails informing him about the guests who would be visiting Chandan with their names, ranks and in some cases personal details like mobile numbers," a top source told NDTV. The accused had information about scientists and defence personnel staying at the guest house. Sources say Mahendra Prasad passed on this information, in some cases entire emails, to his Pakistani handlers via social media channels and WhatsApp. His handler in Pakistan was a "colonel" with whom he communicated via WhatsApp, say sources. Chandan and Pokhran are two sites in the Thar desert where significant and crucial testing of new weapons and missile systems is held. Mahendra Prasad had access to emails about scientists or defence personnel staying in the guest house, what are their ranks and posts and the duration of their stay. He also knew if a group of scientists were visiting who would be the leader and who would be the subordinates in the team, information that could compromise national security especially since, say sources. Sources added that the may have given the enemy country a fair idea of the trials for defence systems going on in Chandan and Pokhran. The Pinaka Rocket system was one of the projects IB sources believe Mahendra Prasad could have leaked information on. The Pinaka rocket system was tested in Pokhran in April 2022 and again in August 2022. Two phones have been recovered from the accused, who is a native of Uttarakhand. A forensic analysis of his phone has revealed that he was in touch with his Pakistani operatives. Investigating agencies are yet to trace the money trail. However, they suspect that he could have been paid in cash. Mahendra Prasad was working at the DRDO guest house during Operation Sindoor, India's counterstrike for the April 22 terror attack in J&K's Pahalgam, as well, making his arrest all the more crucial for intelligence agencies.
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
DRDO Jaisalmer guest house manager caught spying for Pakistan, arrested
Jaipur, Aug 13 (PTI) The guest house manager of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Jaisalmer, who was detained on suspicion of spying for Pakistan, has been arrested by Rajasthan police on grounds of substantial evidence. Mahendra Prasad, the accused, was produced before a court in Jaipur on Wednesday and was sent to a two-day police remand. The accused, a resident of Uttarakhand's Almora, was posted as the manager of the DRDO guest house in Chandan area of Jaisalmer and was detained following intelligence inputs against him on August 4. After a joint interrogation in Jaipur, he was placed under arrest on Tuesday night. Investigating officer Vinod Meena said that the accused had shared information related to missile testing and the movement of scientists with a Pakistani handler via social media. The accused had access to details regarding the visit of Indian scientists and DRDO officers to the firing range for various technical operations, including missile trials. 'Information about which scientists were coming and what kind of work they were doing was being shared by Mahendra with a Pakistani handler," he said. The officer said that Kumar was tracked over time and sufficient evidence was gathered. Following this, he was detained, interrogated and arrested. 'During interrogation, it was revealed that Mahendra had been in contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives via social media platforms for a long time. He had been passing on information about missile trials and DRDO activities to them," Meena said. PTI SDA KSS KSS KSS view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
