Pakistan PM forms commission to probe 'Panama Papers' allegations

ISLAMABAD- Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif addressed the nation by television on Tuesday to defend his family's business practices, denying any wrongdoing and calling corruption claims "old accusations repeated over and over again".

Sharif set up a commission on Tuesday to investigate allegations, based on leaked documents from Panama , that offshore companies headed by members of his family were avoiding paying taxes or disguising assets and their origins.

Political opponents in Pakistan, notably Imran Khan, have accused Sharif's family of having gained the funds illegally through corruption during his two previous stints as prime minister in the 1990s.

Sharif and his family have denied any wrongdoing, saying the assets were gained legally, mainly through the family's network of businesses and industries in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.