ISLAMABAD: Major arteries of Pakistan’s capital were sealed with containers on Thursday amid heavy police deployment in various areas, as authorities enforce security measures in Islamabad ahead of planned protests by Pakistani opposition parties in the days to come.

Media outlets reported on Wednesday night that all major roads leading to Islamabad from its surrounding areas were sealed off with shipping containers ahead of the protest. Shipping containers were also placed at entry and exit points of the Red Zone, a high-security area in the capital that houses Pakistan’s most important state buildings and foreign embassies.

The stringent security measures were implemented ahead of the Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) protest march to the capital on Sept. 20. The JI has been calling on the government to withdraw the petroleum levy amid surging fuel prices.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has also announced it will lead a “long march” to the capital on Sept. 27. The PTI has vowed to mobilize hundreds of thousands of supporters in Islamabad to press for Khan’s release from prison.

Speaking to private news channel Geo, the prime minister’s coordinator on information Ikhtiar Wali Khan dismissed the protests as nothing more than attempts by political parties to increase their standing among voters.

“We want them to come but no killings should take place,” Khan said. “No blood is spilled; no firing takes place. No Rangers personnel are martyred, or police officers are killed, and they don’t insult their own party workers,” he added.

Khan said if the political parties guarantee that their supporters will not partake in violence, then the government will not block their path to a peaceful demonstration.

The prime minister’s coordinator accused the PTI of bringing “armed people” for the Sept. 27 protest.

“They have their own weapons, they have police tear guns, and they have shells,” the official alleged. “They have hired professional people just to create a situation where some blood is spilled.”

The PTI, on the other hand, has repeatedly said its protest march to the capital will be a peaceful one.

The security arrangements take place days after the Islamabad High Court directed authorities to ensure the city’s roads are kept open and the public’s rights to health, education and engaging in lawful business are not affected by the protests.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has been galvanizing support for the march in Pakistan’s Sindh and Punjab provinces in recent days. The IHC on Monday also directed provincial governments to ensure that no governmental resources or officials are used in any march or rally heading toward Islamabad.

Muhammad Owais Chaudhry, president of the All Pakistan Goods Transport Association, said in a statement that over 1,000 containers have been used in the capital to block major arteries and roads.

“These containers are being forcibly taken from transporters and used to block roads,” he said.

Chaudhry said goods belonging to transporters worth hundreds of millions of rupees are inside the containers being used to seal major arteries. He also said vehicles belongiong to transporters have been in police custody for the past 12 days.

“Our containers are meant to keep businesses running and support the country’s economy, not to block roads,” he said. “All detained vehicles and containers should be released immediately.”

Meanwhile, the Punjab government imposed a ban on public gatherings from Sept. 13-17 citing possible terror attacks against citizens by militant groups.

The PTI plans to march to the capital and press for Khan’s release from prison, who has been in jail since August 2023 and has faced a series of convictions and charges in cases ranging from corruption to leaking state secrets and violating marriage laws.

Khan and his party deny wrongdoing and say the cases are politically motivated and intended to keep him out of politics.

Previous protests by the party in 2023 and 2024 have resulted in deadly clashes with law enforcers. Pakistan’s government claims Khan’s party instigates supporters to carry out acts of violence against law enforcers. The PTI rejects these allegations.