Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The Pakistan Army has directed its officers and personnel to stop using Meta-owned WhatsApp and switch to Chinese messaging platform WeChat for official and operational communications, according to an internal military directive cited in a recent intelligence report.
The move comes amid deepening strategic and defence ties between Pakistan and China, with growing cooperation not only in military hardware but also in digital infrastructure, cyber capabilities, communications and intelligence sharing.
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Notably, WeChat is banned in India. The government blocked the application in June 2020, citing concerns over national security, data privacy and sovereignty, and later made the ban permanent.
According to intelligence sources cited by India Today, the directive applies to military personnel, officers and administrative staff, who have been advised to phase out WhatsApp and migrate to WeChat for their communication needs.
SECURITY CONCERNS DRIVE WHATSAPP EXIT
The shift is being driven by concerns over the vulnerability of Western messaging platforms to surveillance, data breaches and potential interception, according to the intelligence report.
The directive asks Pakistani military personnel to use WeChat as the preferred platform for official and operational communications, moving away from WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta.
The decision reflects growing concerns within the military over the security of communications carried over Western technology platforms, while also bringing Pakistan’s military digital infrastructure closer to that of China.
DIGITAL COOPERATION WITH CHINA EXPANDS
The adoption of WeChat also fits into a broader expansion of digital and military integration between Pakistan and China.
Using China’s leading social media and communication ecosystem could help align digital infrastructure across the two countries’ armed forces, potentially facilitating closer coordination during joint military operations and improving channels for intelligence sharing.
The move comes as cooperation between the Pakistan Armed Forces and China’s People’s Liberation Army has expanded in recent years.
DEFENCE TIES GO BEYOND WEAPONS
Pakistan’s military relationship with China has traditionally included major defence acquisitions, including fighter jets, naval frigates and air defence systems.
However, bilateral defence cooperation has increasingly expanded beyond hardware procurement to areas including joint cyber capabilities, shared communications protocols and coordinated intelligence channels.
The reported directive to move military communications from WhatsApp to WeChat comes against this backdrop of expanding Pakistan-China defence cooperation, linking the country’s military communications infrastructure more closely with its strategic partner.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
