Pakistani Student Wins $5 Million Lottery in New York

Beenish Tariq, Lottery Winner: “What anyone would feel like. Excited, I guess? Surprised?” She is only 20 and she has her future all set. The college senior from Flushing just came forward to claim her prize. It was a scratch-off ticket that only cost $10 that her dad bought her over Christmas.

Now, she is rich.

Nadia Tariq, Beenish’s Sister: “We were showing each other the tickets. And at the last we realized we hit the jackpot.” “She scratched it off, she saw the number, she sat there looking at it for like five minutes. Then she realized she had won. She showed it to me, we started jumping up and down.” The family waited nearly nine months to come forward, hoping to minimize publicity. Fat chance.

The Tariqs immigrated here from Pakistan in 1990, and already they’ve realized the American dream. Mohammad Qureshi, Beenish’s Father: “I love this country with my soul and heart.”