The sudden death of first Vice-President Mr. Ahmad Qasim Fahim sent shock down to spine of Afghan politics. As the most trusted figure of Ahmad Shah Masoud, he took the leadership of Northern Alliance, a strong anti-Taliban front which was also on the verge of collapse if the 9/11 had not taken place. Indeed, he was so lucky that soon after the assassination of Ahmad Shah Masoud by two Arab suicide bombers who introduced themselves as foreign journalists, the US-led military coalition intervened and pummeled Taliban and al-Qaeda fronts tremendously across the country. As an undisputable successor of Ahmad Shah Masoud, he attracted huge portion of American support to anti-Taliban fronts. As Gary Sheron, the chief of the first CIA team deployed in the country, handed three million dollars at very first meeting with him. Thereafter, US and its allies always counted on him and invited him and other figures that, to some extent, followed his orders to all key decision making conferences and sessions.  

Certainly, he was an insuring power wherever he tilted. When President Karzai chose Ahmad Zia Masoud the brother of Ahmad Shah Masoud as the first voice President, he clearly felt ignored and vividly voiced out his concerns on what he called as systematic marginalizing of Jihadi leaders. However, President Karzai was not able to change his deputies based on the constitution of Afghanistan. But when he went to run for the second time in presidential election, he chose Mr. Fahim as his first deputy which on one hand could potentially silent the supporters of Dr. Abdullah Abdullah who and his supporters claimed that President Karzai defeated him only by widespread and systematic electoral fraud.

Despite such claim that could seriously endanger the stability, the influence of Mr. Fahim beside President Karzai prevented a possible political mayhem. Meanwhile his cooperation with government did not mean that he gave up support for so-called northern alliance.

Anyhow, his death was a loss both for government as well as for the people. His cooperation with government would have silent the disrupting efforts from government oppositions in the northern provinces. Similarly, he was de jure as well as de facto leader and even the rivaling leaders viewed him as final decision maker.