Pakistan’s military has instructed all its officers, soldiers, and administrative staff to gradually stop using WhatsApp. Instead, they have been asked to use China’s WeChat for official and military communication. WhatsApp is owned by the US-based company Meta. The decision comes at a time when defence and strategic ties between Pakistan and China are becoming stronger.
Internal Order Issued to Military Personnel
According to sources cited by India Today, the Pakistan Army has issued an internal order asking military officers, soldiers, and administrative employees to gradually phase out WhatsApp. The order says that all official and military communication should move to WeChat. It is worth noting that WeChat has been banned in India for several years and is not available for use in the country.
Why Is Pakistan Switching to WeChat?
According to the report, the Pakistan Army believes that Western messaging platforms carry a higher risk of surveillance, data leaks, and interception of conversations. Because of these concerns, the military has decided to adopt WeChat, China’s most popular messaging and social media platform. WeChat is more than just a messaging app. It offers video calls, file sharing, digital payments, and many other online services, making it a “super app.” It is widely used by millions of people across China.
Stronger China-Pakistan Military Cooperation
The report says that using WeChat could help Pakistan and China make their digital communication systems more compatible. This may improve the sharing of military information, communication during joint operations, and intelligence coordination between the two countries.
In recent years, defence cooperation between China and Pakistan has expanded significantly. Earlier, their partnership mainly focused on defence equipment, with Pakistan purchasing Chinese fighter jets, warships, and air defence systems.
Now, the two countries are also working together to strengthen cyber capabilities, build secure communication systems, develop common communication protocols, and improve intelligence-sharing networks. The move to WeChat is seen as part of this broader cooperation.
Why Is WeChat Banned in India?
India banned WeChat along with 58 other Chinese apps in June 2020. The list included popular apps such as TikTok and UC Browser. The Indian government said the ban was imposed due to national security concerns. According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, there was credible evidence that these apps were collecting and transmitting users’ data to servers in China.
The ban was implemented under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. It came just two weeks after the Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops in 2020.
First published on: Aug 04, 2026 03:37 PM IST
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