India, April 5 -- Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned of a strong response to any perceived provocation from India, stating that Islamabad could target Kolkata in the event of escalation.

His remarks came during an interaction with reporters in Sialkot, signalling a further rise in tensions between the two countries.

"If India tries to stage any false flag operation this time, then God-willingly, we will take it to Kolkata," Asif said.

Asif also raised concerns about a potential "false flag" scenario, alleging that India might attempt to orchestrate an incident to justify further action.

He suggested that such an operation could involve local actors or individuals in custody, though he did not present evidence to suppo...