In 1995, the President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, gave him the position of chief of the SNB as a counter weight to his rival's power, Zokir Almatov, the Minister of Internal Affairs.
Interior Minister Zokir Almatov, from the Samarkand clan, also resigned in late 2005, citing poor health.
Interior Minister Zokir Almatov, a member of the Samarkand clan, resigned in late 2005 saying his health prohibited him from continuing to serve.