Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee ( news - web sites ) said Wednesday India was using diplomacy as its first weapon to put pressure on Pakistan over the suicide raid on parliament, but added other options were still open.
In his first statement to parliament since the December 13 suicide attack that killed 14 people, including the five assailants, Vajpayee also said he would build a consensus before any retaliation.
"We have shown a lot of restraint. We are trying to use diplomacy as a weapon but other options are open and we will consider them carefully before taking any decision," he said in a firm speech that lasted almost 35 minutes, marked by occasional restrained applause.
Vajpayee's coalition government, which has blamed the parliamentary attack on Pakistan-based Kashmiri separatists backed by Pakistan, is under pressure from his own party to launch a military strike against the militants despite international appeals for restraint.