Pakistan’s homegrown alternative to WhatsApp tested

ISLAMABAD: A new messaging application, branded as a local alternative to WhatsApp, is set for launch among government employees and later, the public, according to government officials.

Last August, then-federal minister for information technology (IT) Amin ul Haque introduced “Beep Pakistan,” positioning it as Pakistan’s homegrown alternative to WhatsApp.

“Today is an important day for Pakistan’s IT industry,” Haque announced at the launch ceremony. “We are introducing Beep Pakistan, our country’s first communication application.”

Almost a year later, Haque, now heading the National Assembly’s Standing Committee On Information Technology, told Geo Fact Check that government officials of the ministry of IT and its allied departments are already using Beep Pakistan for internal communications.

The app supports audio, video, messaging, conference calls for up to 200 people, and document sharing, claim officials.

“In the next 45 days, [the government] aims to roll out the application for all government employees,” he said over the phone, “Then, we will see the situation and launch it for the public too.”

Haque insisted that unlike WhatsApp, Beep Pakistan’s servers will be located in Pakistan. “Beep’s data centre will be in Pakistan, ensuring 100% safety and security,” he added. “Just as China has WeChat and America has WhatsApp, Pakistan now has its own app.”

The current minister of state for information technology did not respond to Geo Fact Check’s repeated request for comments.

Baber Majeed Bhatti, CEO of the National Information Technology Board (NITB), confirmed that his department has tested and deployed the app within the ministry of IT to address any issues.

“Beep Pakistan is far richer and powerful than WhatsApp,” Bhatti claimed, “WhatsApp is just a messaging app. The purpose of [Beep] is not to compete with WhatsApp. It is to give the government of Pakistan a unified and secure communication platform.”

However, the NITB CEO refused to disclose which Pakistani company had created the application or its cost. “I will not share this information,” he stated over the phone.

Bhatti also added that Beep Pakistan will be rolled out “gradually”. “It will be open for citizens. Yes, that is in the plan,” he said, “If the government agrees [and approves] we can launch the application even today.”

When asked if WhatsApp would be banned in the country following Beep Pakistan’s public launch, Bhatti stated that such decisions are beyond his scope.

While Haque said that he was not in favour of a ban on any social media applications. “But since it [Beep Pakistan] is safe and secure we wish it to be used in Pakistan and those who want to use WhatsApp can continue to use it.”

But news of an alternative to WhatsApp comes at a time when Pakistani users are already experiencing disruptions with WhatsApp, particularly with sending and receiving media files. Digital rights activists suspect the disruption could be due to the country’s testing and installation of an online firewall to crack down on free speech and quell dissent.

Meanwhile, Ramsha Jahangir, a journalist and a digital rights activist, called the government’s approach to launch a homegrown communication application “short sighted”.

“First, we don’t have adequate data protection and privacy safeguards in place,” she said via messages. “They [authorities] are only going to expose government officials and the public to more security risks. Secondly, running local apps requires a lot of investment and technological support. Look at Koo’s example in India, the app couldn’t survive due to lack of funding. Same has happened with local alternates in Africa.”