(AP) - Pakistani engineers have developed and successfully tested a government messaging app 'Beep' for secure communication among officials and authorities.
Should the government approve it, the messaging platform could eventually also be available to millions of citizens, said Baber Majid, chief executive officer at the country’s National Information Technology Board.
Enter “beep,” a chat application that Pakistani authorities say is exclusively homegrown.
“Beep has already successfully undergone trial runs since 2023 and is now ready for launch,” Majid said.
Pakistan’s phone and internet suspensions have also affected communication between officials and security forces. Hence “beep,” which Majid said would ensure uninterrupted communication among officials.
He said the app has been designed to share text, audio, and videos and hold conference calls. It requires an internet connection but Majid did not elaborate on measures that would restrict internet availability to just Pakistani officials — or possibly whoever else gets approval to use the app.
“Beep is safer than other messaging apps,” he said.