Speaker Yunus Qanuni, Vice-president Ahmad Zia Massoud. In June 2007, Fahim stated that his advisory role was merely symbolic and that he never had the chance to advise the President. He further said that after the 2004 elections President Karzai formed a "one-sided" cabinet and began to employ unilateralism as his main policy driver. Fahim argued that without the backing of foreign forces, President Karzai's regime would not last longer than a week. In 2009, he was one of Karzai's running mates in the presidential election, bringing a lot of Tajik votes to the ticket. The selection was condemned by Human Rights Watch. In September 2010, an Afghan news agency reported that Fahim had died of cancer in Paris, France. An official statement was later released by Fahim, who said: "I am completely healthy. I request the Afghan people not to trust news published by irresponsible websites". Death Fahim's last years were beset by health problems which required hospital treatment in Germany. He died of a heart attack on 9 March 2014. Karzai called Fahim's death "a huge loss for Afghanistan" and the government of Afghanistan called for a three-day national mourning period. The UN called him in a statement "a good and trusted partner of the UN." The Prime Minister of India, while emphasizing his role in fostering India-Afghanistan relations, called him "a brave and fearless military commander, whose contribution to Afghanistan's stabilisation and reconstruction after over three decades of war and conflict will always be remembered. Marshal Fahim was also a close friend of India. We shall never forget his personal contribution to nurturing and strengthening the India Afghanistan strategic partnership." Ambassador James Cunnigham of the United States called him "a leader during the Jihad, and that he played a major role in moving Afghanistan toward moderation." After his death, the Afghan National Defense University was renamed Marshal Fahim National Defense University (MFNDU). His death came only a few weeks before Karzai was due to step down from the presidency, and as NATO forces pull out of Afghanistan, added to the prevailing atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. His life and legacy is commemorated annually on 9 March in Kabul and other provinces. References External links Afghanistan Online Biography of Mohammed Qasim Fahim globalsecurity.org – Afghanistan Politics: Mohammed Qasim Fahim Azadi Radio, Karzai Interview Official Biography as the member of Afghanistan's senate Erada Weekly, 2005 Afghan minister escapes blast,