On September 10, 1991, by the decree of newly elected President Islam Karimov, Akhmetov was appointed Minister of Defense of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

According to V. Ponomarev, a close associate of Colonel Akhmetov, the appointment came as a "complete surprise" due to his belief that the country has "generals who are no less worthy to take this position".

The appointment of Akhmedov also caused skepticism from Russian-speaking officers of the Uzbek army due to his lack of authority among his subordinates.

[2] In January 1992, on the basis of units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic, he ordered that the Uzbekistan National Guard be formed, which would be subordinated directly to his office as Minister of Defense.

On his 75th birthday in 2018, he was awarded the Dustlik Order by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and was honored at a ceremony held at the State Museum of the Armed Forces hosted by Abdusalom Azizov.