On Monday, the Federal Minister for Information Technology (IT), Syed Amin Ul Haque, introduced ‘Beep Pakistan’, a domestically developed messaging application intended to serve as an alternative to the widely used platform WhatsApp.
During the launching ceremony, Haque expressed that this day signifies a significant achievement for Pakistan’s IT industry, as the country’s first communication app, Beep Pakistan, is being introduced for a trial period of 30 days.
During the initial stage, the application will serve as a means of internal communication between the Ministry of IT and Communication and the National Information Technology Board (NITB).
During the subsequent stage, the application will be made accessible to all governmental entities. During the third phase, the application will be distributed to a wide audience throughout Pakistan.
According to the minister, nearby nations such as India and Bangladesh have introduced rival applications to WhatsApp.
The speaker acknowledged a delay in this matter but emphasized the importance of taking action regardless of tardiness.
According to the minister, the application possesses many functionalities, including data sharing, audio calling, video calling, and conference calling.
According to the individual, a notable benefit of this application is its complete safety and security, attributed to the fact that both its server and source code would be located within Pakistan.
Haque expressed appreciation for the contribution of NITB, highlighting that Pakistan now has a viable alternative to WhatsApp.
Over the course of the past 3.5 years, the ministry has initiated a total of 83 novel projects, incurring a financial expenditure of Rs77 billion throughout various regions of Pakistan. The speaker stated that their focus has been on selecting second-and third-tier cities in order to enhance connection within these regions.
According to Haque, the Ministry of IT has provided digital skills training to a total of more than 3.3 million children.
The speaker mentioned that three further National Incubation Centres (NIC) were established during their tenure.