The Punjab government on Tuesday stopped the participants of the Balochistan long march from marching ahead to Islamabad.

The long march, led by Maulana Hidayat ur-Rehman Baloch, reached Lahore on Monday night, with Islamabad being its next destination.

A heavy contingent of Punjab police has been deployed around Mansura, where the march participants were staying. Prisoner vans and water cannons have also been deployed at Mansura.

The police have blocked all roads leading to and from Mansura, and there are reports of protesters being stopped from moving ahead.

The long march, organised by the Jamaat-t-Islami, began five days ago from Quetta, with the aim of securing the basic rights of the people of Balochistan and drawing the federal government’s attention to the ongoing situation in the province.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary-General Amirul Azim strongly condemned the Punjab government’s action, calling it a low-level tactic.

He said that the government should allow peaceful protesters to continue their march, and that the voice of the people cannot be suppressed through state repression.

Amirul Azim demanded that the police immediately lift the blockade of Mansura and allow the participants to proceed to Islamabad.

He claimed that the government created obstacles along the route at various places after Fort Munro in violation of basic human rights.

Participants of the Balochistan long march maintained that their protest is peaceful and they are fighting for their constitutional rights.