India, Aug. 9 -- The wife of Salman Iftikhar, the executive recently sentenced for threatening a Virgin Atlantic flight attendant, has come forward to defend her husband, attributing his actions to mental health struggles.

Abeer Rizvi, a social media influencer based in Pakistan, shared her thoughts on Instagram days after Iftikhar was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his behaviour during a flight in 2023.

"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.

Iftikhar, the founder of recruitment firm Staffing Match, was travelling from London to Lahore with his wife and their three children when he became intoxicate...