Abdul Hakim Katawazi was a Brigadier General in the Royal Afghan Army, where he served as the commander of the 7 Mechanized Infantry Division in the Central Corps.

He later commanded the 7th Infantry Division, one of the country's main military units, until the coup d’état in 1973.

[5][1][3] Katawazi was born into a religious family in Kherkoot Kotwazi, Paktika province.At the age of eight, he moved with his father and uncle to Kabul.

During this time, his father and uncle were imprisoned due to political unrest in their home region.

[5] Following the 1973 Afghan coup d’état, Katawazi was imprisoned for his loyalty to King Zahir Shah, but he was later released.