Initial investigation carried out by the New Jersey police says that Nazish Noorani, a Pakistani woman who was shot dead in the quiet Pakistani-dominated suburb of Boonton, New Jersey on Tuesday, and her husband, who was badly injured in the attack, were victims of hate crime as the woman was wearing traditional Pakistani clothes.
Nazish, who was born in Karachi and later moved to Brooklyn, and her Brooklyn-born husband Kashif Pervaiz were attacked on Tuesday night as they were strolling back from Nazish’s sister’s house after Iftar with their three-year-old son. According to local media, fives shot were heard in the quiet neighborhood after which the police arrived. The attackers were said to be two in number had shot the husband four times in the ankle and shoulder, while Nazish was shot near the heart with an automatic rifle in front of their son, who was left unhurt. The local media is calling this ambush a hate crime. Police officers claim that Nazish was wearing traditional Pakistani clothing at the time of the attack, which pointed towards a hate crime. According to the Daily New York News: “Police suspected a hate crime because the family is Muslim and Noorani was wearing distinctive Pakistani clothing when they went for a walk after Iftar.” Nazish, 27, and her husband, 26, resided in Boston and were visiting her sister’s house which was located in Boonton. Nazish had two children and had been married to Kashif for 6 years. Kashif, a doctorate student of architecture and engineering at Harvard University, was said to be recovering from the surgery.
Kashif’s father told reporters that he was clueless about what had happened.
POSSIBLE LOVE TRIANGLE:
The Daily Mail, however, said that the couple were fighting and may have been involved in a violent love triangle. The paper said the two were said to have been fighting over a possible affair. The paper quoted police sources as saying a suspect was being held in custody and they believed the murder might have stemmed from an extramarital affair. The couple’s neighbour Raul Santamaria said he last saw Kashif two weeks ago out with another woman. “He was divorced, or getting divorced,” he told the Newark Star-Ledger.
Controversy over attack on Pakistani couple in NJ
