Rajnath Singh says Pakistan’s future unclear: ‘Only the Almighty…’

Rajnath Singh

Defence minister Rajnath Singh, speaking at the launch of former Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs MJ Akbar’s book “After Me, Chaos: Astrology in the Mughal Empire” on Monday, hailed India’s growth story and stability, while also pointing that no country was sure about the future of neighbouring Pakistan.

Singh remarked that India, currently the fourth-largest economy, is set to become the third-largest in the world soon.

“At present, India is the fourth-largest economy in the world. India is heading towards becoming the third biggest economy by 2030. As per average growth rates by the IMF, India is on the way to becoming the world’s second-largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) by 2038,” Singh said.

The event also saw the presence of national security advisor Ajit Doval, union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, among others.

Highlighting India’s relative steadiness in the region, the defence minister said that unlike some of the South Asian nations, India’s transformative reforms in the last 11 years have fostered enduring stability and accelerated economic progress.

Singh also referred to MJ Akbar’s earlier description of Pakistan as a “toxic jelly state” -- a nation perpetually teetering on the edge of instability yet never completely collapsing. Akbar had mentioned the term in his 2012 book ‘Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan’.

“Considering Pakistan’s current state, only the Almighty knows what the future holds for it. I don’t want to talk about the future," Rajnath Singh further said.

#WATCH | At the launch of the book 'After Me, Chaos
Astrology in the Mughal Empire' by Former MoS MEA, MJ Akbar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says, "...At present, India is the fourth-largest economy in the world. India is heading towards becoming the 3rd biggest economy...If… pic.twitter.com/eizoLxJjvy

— ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2025

Speaking to ANI, Akbar said Pakistan was a dysfunctional state because it had abandoned the cultural inheritance of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

“Therefore, it has created an artificial society that has become brittle… A jelly state is something that always remains unstable. Butter will melt, jelly will not melt. However, a jelly will never be stable. Because it is a nuclear power, it will be a toxic jelly state," he said.