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Father and 2-Year-Old Daughter Still Missing in Panama Six Months After Infant Son Found Dead

Ghussan Iqbal, 31, and his 2-year-old daughter, Nousaybah, have been missing since leaving their home in Bocas del Toro, Panama, on May 21. Their 7-month-old son, Musa, was later found dead in the Changuinola River. The family has raised over CA$22,000 on GoFundMe, returned to Canada after searching in Panama, and is pressing authorities for a faster, more thorough investigation.

Father and 2-Year-Old Daughter Still Missing in Panama Six Months After Infant Son Found Dead

Thirty-one-year-old Ghussan Iqbal and his 2-year-old daughter, Nousaybah, have been missing since they left their home in Bocas del Toro, Panama, on May 21. Their 7-month-old son, Musa, was later found dead; authorities recovered his body from the Changuinola River.

Relatives say Ghussan, who moved to Panama about a year earlier with his Panamanian wife, left the house with both children at roughly 6 a.m. on May 21 and was not heard from afterward. Family members traveled to Panama to assist search efforts but have since returned to Canada.

The family has criticized the pace of the investigation, saying communication with Panama's Attorney General's Office has been slow and largely limited to email. "We don't even reach out anymore because it's not useful," said Nagham Azzam Iqbal, Ghussan's sister-in-law.

"Nothing was adding up to us then and it's still not adding up," said Sulman, a relative. "Literally any theory is possible at this point. We have no idea what happened, no proper leads."

Since May 28, the family's GoFundMe campaign has raised more than 22,000 Canadian dollars to support search efforts and offer a reward for information leading to the location of Ghussan and Nousaybah. Family members are urging the Canadian government to press Panamanian authorities for a more urgent and thorough investigation.

The family also noted that Ghussan had experienced some mental health struggles; relatives say he appeared well during a recent video call before the disappearance. They continue to hold out hope for answers while expressing deep concern for the welfare of Ghussan and his daughter.

If you have information, check the family's GoFundMe page or contact local authorities. For anyone affected by mental-health issues, text STRENGTH to 741-741 to reach a certified crisis counselor.

Panama's Attorney General's Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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