KARACHI: Gold-Futures speculations gave strength to gold prices as buyers in international and domestic markets indulged in Future related buying, traders said. The dealers said the increase in gold prices would come in the next couple of weeks when gold is expected to become substantially expensive, by Rs 500 to Rs 700 per tola on private buyers and retailers’ demand. Gold trading closed at $1,212 an ounce on the international market with $9 cents an ounce increase in price. On the domestic market, the yellow metal gained Rs 341 per tola to stay at Rs 47,587 per tola while in terms of grammage, it closed at Rs 40,842 per ten grams with a gain of Rs 293 per ten grams, traders said. The gold price remained in the hands of manipulators in India, Pakistan and other major gold buying countries, as they influenced current prices and futures on speculations. The potential buyers in India and Pakistan remained busy in hedging. However the gold hedgers made some cautious deals. The general buyers remained on the sidelines anticipating further easing of the price in the coming days on dollar-rupee parity. Buyers made deals according to their immediate needs. Local trading in gold remained dull on the back of insignificant buying. Local dealers said the domestic gold prices are rising in line with global gold market trends. But, the increase isn’t as much as takes place internationally because people stop buying the metal when prices are too high.