Britain's Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, depart from Lahore airport on Friday. — Reuters
However, the delay meant the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had to reschedule their engagements for today, the last day of their five-day tour.
According to Britain's Press Association, William and Kate were due to fly over the Khyber Pass bordering Afghanistan in an engagement on Friday, but a "pretty bad storm" saw their flight turn back on Thursday evening.
The royal couple's visit to the Khyber Pass was called off due to lack of time.
Analysts said the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's visit would help boost Pakistan's image.
“In terms of Pakistan's positive international image, the visit has been an unmitigated success,” said Rifat Hussain, analyst and a former professor at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, though he said there had been some complaints from Pakistanis about the huge security operation around the trip.
'Really special'
In what was reportedly her first-ever television news interview, Duchess Kate told CNN that the couple's visit to Pakistan had been "fantastic".
Speaking to the broadcaster while visiting the SOS Children's Village in Lahore on Thursday, Kate said the five-day official trip had allowed them to see a lot of the country.
"It was amazing seeing some of the geography yesterday, but then to see some of the community activities today has been really special," the duchess said, with Prince William standing by her side.
"William and I really wanted to come and see an SOS Children's Village like this," Kate said of the orphanage. "There's so many vulnerable women here but they've really used their positivity and the support that the Village here provides them ... to support and protect the next generation of children in their care and give them the best possible start to their future lives."
Royal visit
The duke and duchess arrived in Islamabad for their maiden visit to Pakistan on Monday night. Their second day was a busy one, which started with a visit to a girl's college in the capital and then Margalla Hills, where they attended an event regarding environmental protection. The couple was hosted by President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Aiwan-i-Sadr and Prime Minister House, respectively.
In the evening, they attended a star-studded reception, hosted by British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew, at the National Monument where William, in his first official address, paid tribute to all the people who "endured sacrifice and helped build Pakistan to the country it is today".
On the third day of their trip, the royals paid a visit to Chitral district to observe the effect of climate change in the region.
During the visit, the couple flew to the Baroghil Valley National Park in the extreme north and the Bumburate Valley in the south where they mingled with the Kalasha community.
Upon reaching the Bumburate Valley, the couple was given a red-carpet reception by the Kalasha community — led by MPA Wazir Zada — from where they drove to a number of sites devastated by flash floods in 2015. The royal couple was told about the causes of the natural disasters in the region.
On Thursday, they arrived in Lahore where they were welcomed by Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Governor Chaudhry Sarwar.
They later visited the SOS Children's Village, where they took part in a storytelling session and interacted with the staff and children. Kate also delivered a short address at a birthday party held for three children at the centre and wished the kids 'happy birthday' in Urdu.
Afterwards, the duke and duchess went to the National Cricket Academy where both of them tried their hand at batting.
William and Kate also toured the iconic Badshahi Mosque and later joined a discussion on interfaith harmony with religious leaders. The royal couple then visited the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, where they were welcomed by the hospital's CEO Dr Faisal Sultan and other senior officials.
At the hospital, they met children suffering from cancer and also visited the department hosting the hospital's radiation machine.