KARACHI: Around 1.75 million Pakistanis have registered for a government fuel relief scheme in less than a week and more than 655,000 have already received subsidized petrol, the country’s information technology minister said on Saturday, as high energy prices squeeze households amid the US-Iran conflict.

Pakistan launched the Rs75 billion ($271 million) scheme on Sept. 14 to cushion lower-income consumers from a surge in fuel prices driven by disruptions to global energy supplies and shipping routes. The program offers subsidies to users of motorcycles, three-wheelers and cars with engines of up to 800cc.

“From Sept. 14 to 19, 1.75 million citizens have joined the scheme,” Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja told a news conference in Islamabad, adding that 655,067 people had so far obtained fuel under the program.

Khawaja said 91.6 percent of registrations were for two- and three-wheelers, including motorcycles, rickshaws and Qingqi vehicles, indicating that the overwhelming majority of applicants were users of cheaper modes of transport.

Registrations have risen sharply since the scheme began, climbing from 38,974 on Sept. 14 to 149,412 the following day and 349,935 on Sept. 16. Another 385,406 people registered on Sept. 17, while Sept. 18 was the busiest day so far, with 511,961 registrations, according to the minister.

Khawaja said 487,196 fuel tokens were issued on Sept. 18 alone, while 121,991 tokens had been issued for cars with engines of up to 800cc.

The government approved the relief program after a steep increase in petroleum prices as the US-Iran conflict disrupted energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and contributed to a surge in international oil and gas costs. Pakistan, which relies heavily on imported energy, has been particularly vulnerable to the disruption.

Petrol currently costs Rs389.14 ($1.40) per liter and high-speed diesel Rs424.04 ($1.53), after the government made small reductions on Friday. Prices nevertheless remain sharply elevated following a series of increases since the conflict began.

The minister urged people to guard their personal information as registrations accelerate.

“Citizens should never share their sensitive information and data with any unauthorized person or source,” she said, urging applicants to register only through officially prescribed channels.

Pakistan has introduced a series of measures to limit the economic impact of the energy shock, including a 50 percent reduction in fuel allocations for government vehicles for three months and curbs on other official expenditure.