RIYADH, Jan 13: A Pakistani presidential envoy visiting Saudi Arabia denied on Sunday that Islamabad was detaining any Afghan Arabs, saying those arrested on the borders “must be with the Americans.”

“Whosoever tried to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan was captured by the joint US-Pakistani military teams patrolling the borders,” Communications and Railways Minister Javed Ashraf told reporters.

Interior Minister Moin Haider told Saudi newspaper Okaz last week around 240 Saudi nationals who fled Afghanistan after the crushing defeat of the Taliban militia by US-aided forces, were held in Pakistan.

“This is the number of the people who were caught at the border trying to enter Pakistan ... But there is nobody held with us. They must be with the Americans now. They are not with us,” Ashraf said.

Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Ali Saeed Awad had already suggested that the arrested Saudis might be held at special camps on the Afghan-Pakistani borders run by the US forces.

Mr Ashraf is in Riyadh as a special envoy for Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to discuss with Saudi leaders the rising tensions between India and Pakistan.

He and the other delegation member, Ijaz ul-Haq, son of former president Zia ul-Haq, were received on Saturday by Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. They are scheduled to meet King Fahd and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal on Sunday.

“We appraised the crown prince of the situation on the borders with India and told him that we do not want war, we want peace, and are ready to talk with India,” Mr Ashraf said.

Prince Abdullah said Saudi Arabia would “encourage both sides to enter into talks to resolve the differences through peaceful means rather than war, and that Riyadh would use its offices in that direction,” according to Ashraf.

The envoys, the first of seven Pakistani delegations due to visit several countries soon, is expected to leave for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and later to Qatar.

Mr Ashraf slammed as “arrogant” India’s refusal of any external mediation or a dialogue with Pakistan, and said New Delhi was still building up forces.

“The (Indian) build-up has continued, and today they have brought their strategic reserves from the East to our borders. That gives them the capability of undertaking a major offensive,” Mr Ashraf said.—AFP