Fake PNC membership forms: Did DNR chiefs confess?

In a development on Tuesday, officials from the Department of National Registration (DNR) convened a press conference to address allegations that the department had deliberately enrolled residents into the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) party using fake forms. The claims surfaced following several photos, including some of DNR officials, which showed party membership forms being filled out in official government spaces.

The press conference was meant to clarify the situation and reassure the public about the integrity of the DNR's work. However, the event quickly escalated into a tense confrontation with journalists demanding answers to unsettling questions.

State home minister Abdul Majeed and deputy minister Ahmed Aaly, who oversees DNR, appeared at the press conference to address what they described as "false allegations." Their initial stance was firm: they denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the accusations were unfounded and that no DNR personnel had been involved in any illicit activities. However, as the questioning grew more intense, their responses became less clear, and their explanations raised more doubts.

Journalists began pressing Majeed and Aaly about photos that had surfaced, showing DNR officials, including Aaly, seated at a table with PNC membership forms and fingerprinting devices. These images, which also depicted DNR systems being used in the process, appeared to suggest that party work was being carried out inside an official government building.

In response to these pointed questions, Majeed claimed that the photos depicted work being done in a separate meeting room, "completely removed" from the DNR's regular operations. According to him, the meeting room was simply being used by various departments when requested, and the DNR did not monitor what was going on inside.

However, his explanation did little to quell skepticism. Journalists pressed on, asking why forms related to the PNC would be filled out within a government office, especially given the sensitive nature of the work. Majeed's initial defence was that the meeting room was simply a neutral space, and no forms had been filled out by DNR staff. But the photos continued to suggest otherwise.

Aaly, for his part, added to the confusion by attempting to downplay his presence in the controversial photos. He explained that he had been in the meeting room at an invitation, for a pizza gathering. However, there was no mention of pizza in the images showing forms and fingerprinting devices, casting doubt on Aaly's narrative.

As the questions piled up, Majeed’s story began to shift. He claimed that he had no knowledge that forms for the PNC were being filled out in the DNR meeting room. He further insisted that there was no intention to misuse the department’s resources or public information. Yet, the circulation of multiple photos showing DNR officials at the scene raised serious concerns about the veracity of these claims.

At the heart of the controversy is the claim that personal data collected by the DNR for government-issued ID cards had been illicitly used to fill out PNC membership forms. Majeed was adamant that no such data had been stolen or misused. He argued that if the DNR had indeed intended to steal public information, it would have processed far more than the 1,700 forms that had been submitted to the PNC from the ministry.

According to Majeed, the department's systems were not capable of copying ID cards, making it impossible for personal data to have been transferred directly from DNR records to PNC forms. However, critics pointed out that many of the PNC forms contained photographs from previous ID card applications, raising questions about how such sensitive information had been accessed.

Furthermore, some alleged that copies of old ID cards had been submitted alongside new membership forms, leading to further speculation about the possibility of fraudulent activity. Despite these concerns, Majeed continued to argue that the forms were filled out in good faith, and that no illegal activity had taken place.

As the press conference drew to a close, the DNR officials' credibility was increasingly questioned. Their failure to provide clear answers and their contradictory statements left many wondering if they were hiding something. The authenticity of the photos was never fully disputed, and the admission that they had been taken inside the DNR’s own meeting room made it difficult to believe that the officials were unaware of the activities taking place under their watch.

Majeed and Aaly's inconsistent responses fuelled suspicions that the department may have been complicit in a politically motivated scheme to bolster the PNC’s membership, potentially using state resources for partisan purposes. Given the sensitive nature of the DNR's work, the public's trust in the department is now at an all-time low.