Pakistan has introduced its own homegrown alternative to the widely-used instant messaging app WhatsApp, called Beep Pakistan, which has been developed collaboratively by the countrys IT ministry and the National Information Technology Board (NITB).This week, Pakistans IT Minister, Aminul Haque, unveiled the Beep app and expressed his pride, stating, “We can now proudly say Pakistan has a WhatsApp alternative. We have been a bit late [in making WhatsApp alternative]… but it is better to be late than never.”Beep Pakistan AppBeep Pakistan application is aimed to secure & provide efficient digital communication among the government officers and employees.#BeepPakistan #App pic.twitter.com/UVn6a9b6Dj— Ministry of IT & Telecom (@MoitOfficial) August 8, 2023The primary goal of the domestically-developed app is to enhance cybersecurity and safeguard sensitive government communications. Minister Aminul Haque highlighted that Beep Pakistan ensures user data remains within servers located in Pakistan and under the supervision of the National IT Board. This measure has been implemented to eliminate the risks associated with potential audio or video leaks.The launch of Beep Pakistan is being conducted in three distinct phases. Currently, the app is exclusively available to government officials in the initial phase. Subsequent phases will witness expansion to other ministries and departments, followed by a public rollout across Pakistan in the third and final phase.The IT ministrys aim is to make the app available to the general public by the end of this year through its listing on the Google Play Store. The minister expressed optimism that the app will gradually become the preferred WhatsApp alternative for users throughout the nation.Notable features of the Beep Pakistan chat app encompass support for audio and video calls, end-to-end encryption, document sharing with captions, and instant messaging capabilities. This project was initiated in the year 2020, marking a significant step toward enhancing digital communication within government departments.WhatsApp alternative Beep Pakistan will revolutionise governance: ExpertBaber Majid Bhatti, the CEO of the National Information Technology Board, underscored the transformative nature of the Beep Pakistan platform.“Beep Pakistan is a transformative platform that will revolutionise the way our government operates through seamless collaboration between ministries, offering data-driven decision-making for policymakers, and enhanced services to citizens on a secured platform,” Bhatti said.With its secure conferencing feature, Beep Pakistan aims to rival industry leaders like Zoom when it comes to digital communication, IT Minister Haque said.While WhatsApp has established itself as the primary messaging platform globally, localised alternatives have gained prominence in certain regions. For instance, Zalo dominates Vietnams messaging landscape, KakaoTalk is popular in South Korea, and WeChat remains dominant in China. Beep Pakistan aims to become a similar force within Pakistans digital communication landscape, serving as a secure and efficient platform for government officials and employees.
