Pakistani Military Official Denies Rumor: Indian Media's Report on "Pak Army Switching to WeChat" is False

[Global Times Special Correspondent in Pakistan, Huang Xiaona] In response to reports from Indian media claiming that the Pakistan Army has instructed officers and regular military personnel to stop using the American company Meta's instant messaging software WhatsApp and instead use the Chinese social media app WeChat for official and operational communications, officials from the Pakistan Armed Forces Media Relations Office stated on August 5 to a special correspondent of the Global Times that the related reports are "baseless" and filled with "speculation and conjecture."

On the 4th, India Today reported that the directive for the Pakistan military to switch to WeChat came from an internal military intelligence document. The report speculated that the Pakistan military is concerned that Western instant messaging platforms are easily monitored, posing risks of data leaks and communication interception, and thus decided to switch to WeChat.

The report also linked the so-called "change of communication software" to the strategic and defense cooperation between Pakistan and China, claiming that cooperation between the two countries has extended from military equipment to areas such as digital infrastructure, cyber capabilities, communication, and intelligence sharing.

In response to the above statements, Hasan, the director of the Media Relations Office of the Pakistan Armed Forces, told a special correspondent of the Global Times on the 5th that the Indian media's reports are "speculative" and lack factual basis, and the content is "not correct." Hasan stated that the Pakistan military has never publicly or privately issued any orders regarding the use of social media, nor would it require military personnel to prefer a specific social media app. The military does not use social instant messaging software like WhatsApp or WeChat in matters related to national security. Outside of work, the use of WhatsApp or WeChat by officers and soldiers is a personal matter, and the military has never interfered or guided this.

According to the reporter's observations, WhatsApp remains the most widely used instant messaging software in Pakistan. As cooperation between China and Pakistan continues to deepen in various fields, more and more Pakistanis are also downloading WeChat to communicate with Chinese clients or friends.