Hamilton man, daughter missing in Panama; Infant son found dead

Hamilton, Ont. resident Ghussan Iqbal with his son Musa and daughter Nousaybah. The three went missing in Panama on May 21. Musa's body was found just over a week later in a river. (Supplied)

The infant son of a Canadian man who has been missing in Panama for weeks was recently found deceased, as the frantic search for the baby’s father and his other child continues.

On May 21, Hamilton, Ont. native Ghussan Iqbal left his home in the central American country’s Bocas del Toro province with his seven-month-old son, Musa, and two-year-old daughter, Nousaybah, who is a Canadian citizen.

He left without his phone, wallet, money, or food, relatives said.

Earlier this week, the Procuraduría General de la Nación, Panama’s Attorney General’s office, announced that the body of a baby boy that had been found in the Changuinola River on May 31 was confirmed through DNA testing to be Musa.

In a statement, authorities said that the search for the other minor who was reported missing alongside the infant continues “without rest,” as does the search for the children’s father.

Burial and janazah (Islamic funeral) prayer for Musa were set for this Thursday in the city of Changuinola.

Salah al-Ghaib, which is an absentee funeral prayer, will be held on Sunday afternoon at the Muslim Association of Hamilton on Stone Church Road for the boy’s family in southern Ontario.

Family members rushed to Panama to help with search

Iqbal, a McMaster University graduate, had stayed in Hamilton as recently as last summer but relocated to Panama about a year ago with his wife, who is from there, his family has said.

His sister in-law, Nagham Azzam Iqbal, told CP24 that while he did struggle with some mental health challenges, her husband, Sulman, who is the man’s older brother, and their children had spoken to Iqbal via video chat days prior to his disappearance and everything seemed fine.

Two days later, he left his home with both of his children at around 6 a.m. and has not been heard from since, they said.

The couple rushed to northwestern Panama to assist with the search efforts once they got word of the trio’s disappearance. After more than two weeks, they’re are heading home on Saturday, but have arranged for a representative to act on their behalf and advocate for the search to continue.

Local authorities and teams of volunteers from the area, which is home to several large banana plantations, immediately began searching for Iqbal and the children, even issuing an Amber Alert. Despite having limited resources, they’ve been scouring the region daily on foot from sunrise to sunset.

“It just feels like an impossible task. We need more resources,” the sister-in-law said.

In the meantime, family members and friends have undertaken extensive social media and letter-writing campaigns in an effort to raise awareness about the situation and appeal for more tangible support and resources, not only from those in the region but also from the government back home.

They’ve also launched a crowdfunding campaign to help pay for the many expenses associated with the search.

“We’re really in need of help from the Canadian government to do something, anything, to lend a hand. … We’ve tried to do everything on our own. We don’t know what else to do,” said the men’s brother-in-law, Waseem Khokar, who has stayed back in Canada with his wife (Iqbal’s eldest sibling) to handle logistics.

Family doesn’t know why man left with 2 kids

Iqbal’s family said they still do not know exactly why he left with his children, noting that authorities have not ruled out abduction, a mental health crisis, or even foul play.

The man’s relatives said they worry that their loved one’s undiagnosed mental health issues, including possibly psychosis, have worsened due to a lack of access to care abroad. They shared with CP24 that he had been admitted to Hamilton’s St. Joseph’s Mental Health Hospital for three weeks last year.

And while Iqbal had previously taken off on his own, sometimes for a number of days, he’d never before left with the children, his sister-in-law said.

Family members who spoke with CP24 said that while they do not believe that he set out to intentionally harm the children, the conditions in that part of Panama may have made it difficult for him to care for them properly.

“The concern is with his mental health, with the terrain, with what we’re living around us, even the heat … We don’t know how he could help them sustain their lives in this situation, so we’re just extremely concerned,” Nagham Azzam Iqbal said, adding everyone’s top priority is getting her young niece home safe.

“We’ll figure it out together. We just need (them) to come home.”

In a written statement, Global Affairs Canada said it is “deeply saddened by the death of one of the minor children and our thoughts are with the family.”

Global Affairs previously told CP24 that it was aware of a case involving a Canadian citizen and two minor children who were missing in Panama and said that consular officials were “actively engaged with local authorities and are providing consular assistance to the family.”

“The safety and security of Canadian citizens abroad is a top priority for the Government of Canada,” a spokesperson said in a written statement provided to CP24.

“Local law enforcement is responsible for investigating reports of missing persons in their jurisdiction.”

Local politician assisting the family

Hamilton Mountain MP Lisa Hepfner is one of the people in Canada trying to support the family.

She said she became aware of the situation in Panama after one of Iqbal’s family members, who lives in her riding and whom she’s known for several years, reached out to her for help.

“I immediately began working with Global Affairs Canada to resolve the situation and remain in close contact with the family. I am not at liberty to disclose more due to privacy considerations,” Hepfner wrote in an email to CP24.

Anyone in Canada or Panama who has been in touch with Iqbal is being urged to come forward with any information that may aid the investigation.