Pakistan to introduce cellphone app for government officials to replace WhatsApp

A journalist is seen using his mobile phone outside the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, on February 26, 2020. (AFP/File)

• Beep Pakistan is developed by the National Information Technology Board and will help government employees make phone calls, send messages and hold video conferences
• Digital rights activists believe the government plans to monitor communication among its officials by launching the app

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s federal authorities are all set to launch a unified communication and collaboration tool for government employees to ensure better and safer official communication, said a senior state functionary on Wednesday.
“Beep Pakistan has been developed by the National Information Technology Board (NITB) and will soon be launched,” Faisal Iqbal Ratyal, director general of the project management office at the NITB, told Arab News.
He said the application would have several features, helping users make phone calls, send text messages and arrange video conferences.
“This application will help government employees send documents, messages and photos without having to worry about the security,” he said.
“Beep Pakistan will be initially used by 20,000 high-ranking government officials with decision-making authority,” Ratyal informed, adding that the scope of the application would be extended to the remaining government functionaries in the next phase.
Asked about the rationale behind developing a separate app for the purpose, he said the government wanted to launch a dedicated platform for official communication to minimize the chances of cyber-attacks and reduce its dependence on third party applications.
“Many neighboring countries like Singapore and India have already been using indigenously developed apps for official communication,” he maintained.
“Beep Pakistan will also have end-to-end encryption,” the NITB official said. “There are multiple firewalls and security layers to protect users.”
While he maintained the application would not affect user privacy, digital rights activists suspected it was an attempt to eavesdrop on government officials.
“With so many apps offering end-to-end encryption in market, the government is likely to use this one to monitor employee communication,” Usama Khilji, who heads an organization working for internet safety, told Arab News.
Nighat Dad, another digital rights activist, argued that the government would need to pay attention to several factors to make the app a success.
“It will not only have to convince its employees that the app is not tracking them but also guarantee that it comes with a strong data protection policy,” she said.