National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said displaced Kashmiri Pandits were unlikely to return to live in Kashmir but would come only as visitors, the remarks coming amid the observance of the 36th anniversary of the Pandit exodus.

Scores of Pandits on Sunday staged protests in Jammu to press for a homeland in Kashmir. They seek nearly half of the Valley for the return and rehabilitation of the displaced community.

"During my time, I told them we would build their houses, provide other facilities, but my government came to an end (and they did not return). It is for the Delhi government to look into it. But more than that, it is for them to look into it," Farooq told reporters in Jammu, reacting to questions over the possibility of Pandits returning.

"They are living everywhere. They have grown old and are being treated there. Their children are in colleges, schools and universities. They will come as visitors. I don’t think they will come to live there," he said, adding that nobody was stopping them from returning to Kashmir.