The Pakistani government plans to introduce “Beep Pakistan,” a domestically developed messaging application. Local engineers specifically designed the app for secure communication among government officials to enhance data privacy and security within government circles.
Pakistan is preparing to introduce its first locally developed messaging app, “Beep Pakistan,” for official use by government employees. Baber Majid Bhatti, the head of the National Information Technology Board (NITB), announced that they are currently testing the app within the Ministry of Information Technology and will soon launch it for wider government use.
“Beep Pakistan” is designed to ensure secure communication and data protection among government officials. Unlike commercial apps like WhatsApp, which collect and use data for profit, Beep Pakistan focuses on maintaining secrecy and data security. The app may also be expanded for public use in the future, depending on the situation.
But Haque, the former minister who oversaw the start of the work on the app. He also pointed to a more strategic rationale for the initiative.
Haque, who now heads the National Assembly’s Standing Committee On Information Technology, said that the idea behind launching the application was to ensure Pakistan has what China and the United States have: a homegrown messaging app.
“This is an entirely made-in-Pakistan product. Just like how China has WeChat for their users, or how users have WhatsApp in the United States, we wanted something similar for Pakistan so that is where Beep comes in,” he said.
Coping To “X” Ban?
The launch comes at a time when Pakistanis are experiencing internet disruptions and a ban on the social media platform X. The government aims to provide a secure communication tool for its officials and reduce reliance on foreign messaging services, which have raised security concerns in the past.
Bhatti emphasized that Beep Pakistan does not aim to compete with WhatsApp but instead offers a secure alternative for government communication. The app’s privacy policy ensures the storage of user data on local servers without sharing or selling it to other parties.
The public’s response to Beep and its potential for widespread adoption beyond the government sector remains uncertain.
