‘Beep’ messaging app: Pakistan’s answer to WhatsApp amid internet blackouts

Pakistani engineers have reportedly developed and tested a government messaging app, Beep, designed for secure communication among officials.

This development comes at a time when Islamabad frequently restricts social media use and imposes internet and mobile phone network shutdowns to curb dissent.

The new messaging platform, named “Beep,” has been exclusively developed in Pakistan and has already undergone successful trial runs since 2023. Baber Majid, CEO of the National Information Technology Board, said the app is now ready for launch. He also mentioned that, upon government approval, Beep could eventually be available to millions of Pakistani citizens.

“Beep is safer than other messaging apps,” Majid claimed.

The development of Beep coincides with struggles faced by ordinary Pakistanis in accessing the social networking platform X, which was blocked ahead of the parliamentary elections on February 8 earlier this year.

The elections were marred by violence, a nationwide shutdown of mobile phone services, and allegations of vote rigging. While authorities justified the phone service suspension as a security measure, critics and the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed it aimed to disable communication to facilitate vote rigging, a charge the government denies.

Frequent internet restrictions have also been reported in southwestern Baluchistan and during the annual Ashoura commemorations, affecting communication between officials and security forces. Beep aims to ensure uninterrupted communication among officials amidst these challenges.

The app requires an internet connection, but details on restricting internet availability to officials or other approved users were not disclosed.

Despite the government denying plans to ban WhatsApp, the promotion of Beep Pakistan suggests a preference for a homegrown solution.

Shaza Fatima Khwaja, state minister for IT and telecommunication highlighted the app’s robust security features and data privacy, presenting it as a secure alternative to foreign platforms, reported The Times of India.

“The design of the application is robust enough to offer it to the general citizens of Pakistan at later stages, if desired,” Khwaja said. She also revealed that the government plans to roll out the application to all its employees within the next 45 days.

Critics, however, argue that the app is part of a government strategy to control online discourse and limit access to information.