RIYADH, Jan 19: Relatives of the Saudis being detained in areas along the Pakistani-Afghan border have said they want the detainees to be handed over to Saudi security authorities for investigation, the local press reported here on Saturday.

Some of them said an investigation by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would be just, fairer and acceptable to them.

A relative of a detainee told the daily Al-Hayat newspaper that his brother, Khalid bin Soleiman, 27, had been detained in the Kohat jail in Pakistan.

He said Khalid had spoken to his family two days before the Sept 11 attacks in the US and had expressed his desire to return to his country.

The relative, on the condition of anonymity, added that he had informed his brother in Pakistan that the Saudi authorities had enquired about him. “I think this was the main reason which prevented my brother from returning to the Kingdom.”

Khalid’s brother denied having received any calls from his brother, who left Jeddah for an unknown destination to work in government sector without the knowledge of the family.

The mother of another detainee, Majid bin Abdullah bin Hussein Al-Harbi, expressed her anger and anguish on those who lured him to go to Afghanistan.

“My son went to Afghanistan without informing us. He does not know how to use the weapon. In hope my son will get back even if he is imprisoned (upon arrival here).”

The mother of another detainee, Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saleh Al-Ganimi, said: “I had no idea about the departure of my son who was working with Saudi Aramco. We learned of his presence in Afghanistan only through the Internet later. He told us that he was going for tourism without mentioning Afghanistan.”

A relative of Rashid Awad Sl-Ghamdi, another detainee, told the paper that Rashid had not gone to Afghanistan for Jihad but had been working there for the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) to help the poor Afghans. “Khalid is regular in his prayers but he is not a fanatic. In his last telephonic call, he told his family before the September 11 attacks that he would get back to the Kingdom very soon”, his relative concluded.

After persuasion, Abdul Rahman Al-Je Rid’s brother said, “The only service, which could be rendered to my brother and his colleagues is to pray for them.”