Hilaly was born in 1911 in Bangalore. He joined the Indian Civil Service in 1936 at the age of 25,  and opted for Pakistan during  the independence of Pakistan in 1947 and settled in Pakistan along with his family in 1947.
Hilaly was born in 1911 in Bangalore. He enrolled in the Indian Administrative Service in 1936 at the age of 25, and subsequently made a decision to migrate to Pakistan during the country's separation from India in 1947, ultimately settling there with his family by 1947.