Chandigarh: Chief of Army staff designate Lt General Joginder Jaswant Singh today (Nov 28, 2004) said India would have to keep its "options clearly defined" if Pakistan did not keep its commitment to the peace process.

Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh a day after he was named as the next Army Chief, Singh said the reduction of troops in Jammu and Kashmir was a step in right direction and "we will be watching the situation and making a review every two to three months". "If Pakistan is sincere, then it is ok, but if it does not keep its word, then we need to have our options clearly defined," the Western Command Army chief said at its headquarters in Chandimandir, near Chandigarh.

Favouring taking people into confidence to isolate terrorists, Singh, who will be taking over from Gen N C Vij after he retires on January 31, said the Confidence Building Measures (CBM's) like force reduction were a step in the right direction.

A range of CBMs, including political, cultural, economic and military were "well orchestrated by the Government," Singh and added it was now for Pakistan to respond favourably to take the peace process forward.

Singh said he would be visiting Kashmir after taking over as Army Chief. "I will visit and interact with people to update myself. Then I will formalise my thoughts and will be able to respond to your questions in a better way," he said when asked about the prevailing situation in the valley.