Three Saudi nationals who were “illegally staying in troubled areas” in Pakistan have been expelled by the authorities and sent back to Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Interior Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. The statement, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, said two of the three had already contacted the Saudi Embassy in Pakistan “expressing readiness to return home and give themselves up”.The ministry did not identify the men or link them to Al Qaeda, but said, “They will be treated according to the rules applied in the kingdom.” It said the three were allowed to meet their relatives. For the past three years, Saudi authorities have released several hundred prisoners related to Al Qaida who repented and renounced violence after passing through a rehabilitation programme which included lengthy talks with psychiatrists, Muslim clerics and sociologists. ap