Karimov, who died on Friday at the age of 78 after suffering a stroke, will be buried later in the day in his hometown of Samarkand, about 300 km (185 miles) southwest of the capital.
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People throw flowers on the hearse as they gather along the road to watch the funeral procession of President Islam Karimov in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, early Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016. Over the years, the group has been affiliated with the Taliban, al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, and it has sent fighters overseas. However, the head of the Uzbek senate is regarded as unlikely to seek permanent power and Karimov’s demise is expected to set off a period of jockeying for political influence.
President of India Pranab Mukherjee condoled the passing away of Islam Karimov, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Despite Karimov’s brutal record, Uzbekistan still receives U.S. aid and both Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian leader Vladimir Putin have jetted in for talks over the past year.
Central Asia analysts say a small circle of senior officials and Karimov family members will have been meeting behind closed doors to try to agree on anointing a new president.
In Samarkand, where Karimov’s mother and two brothers are also buried, public workers were already out on Thursday cleaning the streets, prompting speculation about an imminent state funeral.
Karimov agreed to allow United States forces to use Uzbekistan’s airspace and one of its airports.
Described as Asia’s most authoritarian leader, Karimov did not designate a successor to take over the nation of 32 million people.
Following 9/11, the West overlooked Karimov’s harsh policies and cut a deal with him in 2001 to use Uzbekistan’s Karshi-Khanabad air base for combat missions in Afghanistan.
Born on January 30, 1938 in the family of a civil servant, Karimov did his higher education at the Central Asian Polytechnic Institute, and finally graduated from the Tashkent Institute of National Economy with a Ph.D degree in Economic Sciences.
“Karimov ruled through fear to erect a system synonymous with the worst human rights abuses: torture, disappearances, forced labour, and the systematic crushing of dissent”.
Karimov’s death leaves the future of the resource-rich country in question, said Andrey Kortunov, president of the New Eurasia Foundation.
Global critics, including Human Rights Watch, said voters had no real choice in the elections because the government restricts opposing political activity.
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The Reuters news agency said on Friday that three diplomatic sources had told it Karimov was dead and a further government announcement would come on Friday that would also name the head of the commission in charge of organising the funeral.
