Photo of Nawaz Sharif with ailing wife hits Twitter

A photograph of former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam bidding farewell to his ailing wife Begum Kulsoom Nawaz has hit Twitter and the emotional scene has struck an emotional chord with many.

The photo was tweeted by Pakistani journalist Rabia Anum Obaid along with the caption, "This picture will haunt many in future. Remember."

Kulsoom has been undergoing treatment for cancer in London and her condition is said to be highly critical. She has been on life support for more than a month.

The photograph shows Maryam breaking down as Nawaz keeps his hand on his wife's forehead. The picture was reportedly taken hours before they headed to the airport to return to Pakistan. Both Maryam and Nawaz will be arrested upon their arrival in the country.

Before heading to Pakistan, Sharif told reporters that he was ready to return to Pakistan even though he knows he will be arrested.

"Maryam and I are coming back to face prison, and even if they send me to the gallows, we know that freedom cannot be won without sacrifice. It is not easy to leave my wife on a ventilator in a hospital, but I am returning along with my daughter to play our role to rid of this slavery."

"Despite seeing the bars of prison in front of my eyes, I am going to Pakistan," he told a conference of his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz or PML-N party in London.

Nawaz and his daughter are convicted in the Avenfield reference case and all arrangements have been made to arrest the three-time Prime Minister and his daughter by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team.