The massacre in Shopian (Pulwama district) will have an adverse impact on Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's plan to persuade Kashmiri Pandits to return to the valley.

As a mark of respect to the victims, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has cancelled a dinner on Tuesday evening to commemorate completion of five years in power.

Instead, a cabinet meeting has been scheduled to discuss the recent developments in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Mufti had planned to shift at least 250 dislocated families to Mattan and Khirbhavani to coincide with the prime minister's visit on April 18.

This initiative was meant to herald return of the Kashmiri Pandits to the valley.

Towards this end, the government had decided to build about 500 flats in the vicinity of Mattan temple in south Kashmir in the first phase after holding talks with members of the community. 

A senior minister in the Mufti cabinet visited the site last week to take stock of the ground situation.

But Pandits now feel that the J&K government, instead of thinking of ensuring their return in the 'prevailing conditions', should gear up for exodus from the valley in view of the massacre, said Nancy Kaul of Panun Kashmir.

"This massacre has come as a major set back to the state government's plans," a senior official of the state government admitted.

As of now, the prime minister's plan to visit Jammu and Kashmir on April 18 stands, the prime minister's media advisor Ashok Tandon told rediff.com. The government is yet to make an official announcement of the visit though.

With inputs from PTI