Asif threatens deeper strikes inside India
- By Thetripurapost Web Desk, Karachi
- Apr 05, 2026
- 554
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif renewed his sharp rhetoric against India, warning that any future confrontation would not remain confined to border regions but could extend as far as Kolkata.
Speaking to the media in Sialkot, Asif alleged the possibility of a “false flag” operation, though he offered no substantive evidence to support the claim.
He cautioned that any military action initiated by India would invite a forceful Pakistani response, potentially penetrating deep into Indian territory. According to him, the next conflict would not be restricted to a limited range of 200–250 kilometres but could reach civilian centres.
His remarks come in the backdrop of earlier statements by India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who had asserted that any provocation from Pakistan would be met with a decisive and proportionate response. Adding to the escalation in rhetoric, former Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit had recently advocated targeting major Indian cities, explicitly mentioning Delhi and Mumbai.
The exchange underscores a renewed intensification of verbal hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, even as concrete evidence or diplomatic engagement remains notably absent.