Minister of State for Information Technology (IT) Shaza Fatima Khawaja has clarified that the soon-to-be-introduced instant messaging application ‘Beep Pakistan’ should not be compared with WhatsApp.
The National Information Technology Board (NITB) developed ‘Beep Pakistan’ and began its trial in August 2023 under the then-Information Technology Minister Aminul Haq.
Government officers and Ministry of Information Technology experts have been using the application for the past year, and it is still being tested.
Recently, complaints about slow internet speeds and difficulties running WhatsApp led to rumours on social media that the government plans to introduce ‘Beep Pakistan’ as an alternative to WhatsApp.
However, Minister of State Shaza Fatima Khawaja has clarified that ‘Beep Pakistan’ is not intended as a public alternative to WhatsApp but will serve as an alternative at the government level.
In an interview with the Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera, Shaza Fatima emphasised that it is incorrect to consider ‘Beep Pakistan’ as an alternative to WhatsApp or to compare the two.
She stated that the government does not intend to present ‘Beep Pakistan’ as an alternative to third-party applications.
According to the Minister of State, the app is still being tested within the Ministry of Information Technology, and in the second phase, testing will extend to more federal ministries.
Shaza explained that ‘Beep Pakistan’ will be introduced as an official instant messaging application. The government will ensure its privacy and will use the app exclusively for government affairs.
The app will function similarly to WhatsApp, but all services and data will remain under the control of the Government of Pakistan.
The Government of Pakistan has also recently issued orders to implement electronic and e-systems in ministries and institutions to reduce time and costs associated with paper-based processes.
