Recent global incidents have underscored the vulnerabilities inherent in relying on official digital communication platforms for relaying sensitive information. The NA Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunications mentioned as such in a session this week, justifying the need for a locally developed messaging platform that allows for safe, secure, and reliable communication amongst government employees. They instructed the National Information Technology Board (NITB) to accelerate the roll-out of “Beep”, a secure messaging application with enhanced encryption features and locally situated servers. Inspired by the Chinese “WeChat” platform, Beep is Pakistan’s latest attempt at indigenizing its digital infrastructure- with the ultimate objective of reducing reliance on official platforms.