A new messaging app, known as Beep Pakistan, will soon be launched for government employees and later for the public, government officials have confirmed.
Last August, Amin ul Haque, the then-federal minister for IT, unveiled Beep Pakistan as a domestic alternative to WhatsApp. “Today marks a significant milestone for our IT industry,” Haque declared during the unveiling. “We are proud to introduce Beep Pakistan, our first homegrown communication app.”
Almost a year later, Haque, who now chairs the National Assembly’s IT Committee, told Geo Fact Check that ministry officials and allied departments had used the app for internal communication.
Officials tout the app as a robust platform that supports audio, video, messaging, conference calls for up to 200 participants, and document sharing.
“Within the next 45 days, we plan to make the app available to all government employees,” Haque explained over the phone. “Subsequently, we will evaluate the situation and consider a public rollout.”
Haque emphasized that Beep Pakistan offers enhanced security, with servers located within Pakistan, unlike WhatsApp. “With Beep’s data centre based here, we ensure complete safety and security,” he added. “Similar to how China uses WeChat and America uses WhatsApp, Pakistan will have its app.”
Despite multiple inquiries by Geo Fact Check, the current state minister for IT did not comment.
Baber Majeed Bhatti, CEO of the National Information Technology Board (NITB), confirmed the app’s deployment within the IT ministry to iron out any issues. “Beep Pakistan offers more features than WhatsApp,” Bhatti claimed. “Our goal isn’t to compete with WhatsApp but to provide a unified, secure communication platform for the Pakistani government.”
However, Bhatti declined to reveal the developer or the cost of the app. “I cannot disclose that information,” he said.
Bhatti also noted that the rollout of Beep Pakistan would be gradual. “It will eventually be available to the public, pending government approval,” he stated.
When asked about WhatsApp’s potential banning following Beep Pakistan’s public launch, Bhatti explained that such decisions were outside his jurisdiction.
Haque also expressed that while he does not support banning social media apps, he hopes Beep Pakistan will become widely used due to its security features, allowing those who prefer WhatsApp to continue using it.
The announcement comes amid disruptions experienced by Pakistani WhatsApp users, especially with media file transfers. Digital rights activists like Ramsha Jahangir attribute these issues to the nation’s testing of an online firewall to suppress free speech.
