India-Pakistan tension: Khawaja Asif’s ‘Kolkata’ threat and Rajnath Singh’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ attack; Will Seema be shaken again?

New Delhi/Islamabad: Diplomatic and military heat is once again at its peak in South Asia. The memories of the ‘Pahalgam attack’ of last year i.e. 2025 and the subsequent Indian retaliatory action ‘Operation Sindoor’ had not yet faded when the ongoing war of words between the defense ministers of the two countries has fueled the fears of war. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has now taken the tension to a new level by talking about targeting India’s eastern metropolis Kolkata. Khawaja Asif’s ‘jackal barking’: “This time the target will be Kolkata.” While talking to journalists in his hometown Sialkot on Saturday (April 4), Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s tone was very aggressive. He warned India that if India tried any kind of military operation or “False Flag Operation” in future, Pakistan’s reaction would not be limited to the border alone. “If India has any audacity by holding us responsible this time, we will hit till Kolkata. We have a list of targets ready where we can strike.” — Khawaja Asif, Defense Minister, Pakistan Asif also claimed without any evidence that India was planning to run a ‘false campaign’ through its own people or detained Pakistanis, so that it could get an excuse to attack Pakistan. Rajnath Singh’s counterattack: “Operation Sindoor is not over yet.” This statement of the Pakistani minister has come in response to the speech of Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in Kerala. Gave in Thiruvananthapuram. Singh reminded Pakistan of the strength of India by referring to the Pahalgam terror attack of April 2025 (in which 26 people were killed). 22-minute game: Rajnath Singh claimed that during ‘Operation Sindoor’, the Indian Army had forced Pakistan to kneel in just 22 minutes. Unprecedented action: He made it clear that India’s “zero tolerance” policy remains intact and if the same happens again If a ‘disgusting act’ occurs, the response this time will be unprecedented and decisive. Timeline of tension: 2025 to 2026 Event / Date DescriptionImpact April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terrorist attack 26 tourists/civilians killed; Huge outrage across India. May 2025Operation Sindoor (Op SINDOOR) India destroyed 9 terrorist launchpads across the border; Pakistan asked for ceasefire. April 2, 2026 Rajnath Singh’s warning said – “The operation is not over yet”, strict warning on future attacks. April 4, 2026 Khawaja Asif’s threat said to target the eastern part of India (Kolkata). What is the truth of the allegations of ‘false flag’? Experts believe that Pakistan taking the name of ‘Kolkata’ and making allegations of ‘false flag’ Part of his old strategy. Islamabad has often been making such baseless claims to show itself as a ‘victim’ at the international level and to reduce India’s military pressure. However, directly threatening a remote city like Kolkata indicates that Pakistan, through its missile capability, wants to create fear in those parts of India that have traditionally been away from the western border tensions. At present, vigilance has been increased on the border and the eyes of the global community are on whether this war of words will escalate into a major military conflict or it will be defused through diplomacy.