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The man trusted with billions: Inside Lahore’s missing gold case

For decades, Waseem Akhtar operated quietly in Lahore’s Ichhra jewellery market, handling gold worth millions without written contracts

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Laiba Zainab

Correspondent

Laiba Zainab is an award-winning journalist with nearly a decade of experience in digital media. She has received the DW & CEJ-IBA Data Journalism Award and the top digital media prize at the National Media Fellowship. At NUKTA, she covers underreported stories on health, crime, and social justice.

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For over three decades, Waseem Akhtar was a familiar name in Lahore’s Ichhra jewelry market. A wholesaler trusted with gold worth millions, known for keeping a low profile and maintaining distance from both friends and family.

When reports emerged of gold worth nearly Rs1 billion going missing, the focus initially remained on the money. But behind the figures lies a deeper question: who was the man so trusted that dozens of jewelers handed him their gold without written contracts?

In this video, we explore the personality, working style, and trust dynamics that defined Waseem Akhtar’s presence in the market, drawing on accounts from the Gold Market Union and investigators leading the case.

As police continue their investigation, this report looks beyond the alleged crime to understand how silence, consistency, and reputation can shape power in traditional business communities, and what lessons this case holds for traders today.

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