ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held cordial meetings with Pakistani officials in Islamabad Wednesday, hours after saying he hoped to "reset" Washington´s troubled relationship with its wayward ally.

The shift in tone between Pompeo and his counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi comes days after Washington confirmed plans to cancel $300 million in military aid.

But the former CIA director, making his first visit as top US diplomat to a nation whose support is vital in the Afghan conflict, told new Prime Minister Imran Khan he was "pleased" with his meeting with Qureshi.

"We had an excellent meeting. I´m very happy with the meeting we had," Qureshi agreed, according to a pool report.

Khan, who has voiced anti-US sentiment in the past but vowed a more balanced relationship as premier, said he was hopeful of finding a new way forward with Washington.

"A sportsman always is an optimist," said the former cricketer, who captained Pakistan to World Cup victory in 1992, according to the report. "He steps on the field and he thinks he´s going to win."