diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2a6d508..b0cd61b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 ### Fixed
+- Parentheses and quote characters inside string literals no longer trigger false unbalanced-linter warnings.
+- Single-quote balance is now checked alongside double-quote balance (previously only double quotes were validated).
 - Augmented assignments no longer produce invalid-variable-name linter errors.
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/maithili_dsl/transpiler/linter.py b/maithili_dsl/transpiler/linter.py
index 03ce3fa..49b66da 100644
--- a/maithili_dsl/transpiler/linter.py
+++ b/maithili_dsl/transpiler/linter.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 import re
 
+from .transpile import _tokenize_preserving_strings
+
 LINT_CONFIG = {
     "enforce_snake_case": False,
     "max_line_length": 80,
@@ -44,12 +46,18 @@ def lint_maithili_code(code, config=LINT_CONFIG):
         if "=" in stripped and stripped.startswith("="):
             errors.append(f"पंक्ति {i}: '=' चिह्नक पहिले कोनो मान अपेक्षित अछि")
 
-        # Check for unbalanced parentheses or quotes
-        if stripped.count("(") != stripped.count(")"):
+        # Check for unbalanced parentheses or quotes.
+        # Tokenize the line and count only in code regions so that
+        # parens and quotes inside string literals are not counted.
+        tokens = _tokenize_preserving_strings(line)
+        code_parts = [text for is_str, text in tokens if not is_str]
+        code_line = "".join(code_parts)
+        if code_line.count("(") != code_line.count(")"):
             errors.append(f"पंक्ति {i}: गोल ब्रैकेट असंतुलित अछि")
-        if stripped.count("\"") % 2 != 0:
+        if code_line.count("\"") % 2 != 0:
+            errors.append(f"पंक्ति {i}: उद्धरण चिह्न जोड़ा में नहि अछि")
+        if code_line.count("'") % 2 != 0:
             errors.append(f"पंक्ति {i}: उद्धरण चिह्न जोड़ा में नहि अछि")
-
         # Check for indentation (must start with 4-space or tab if inside block)
         if line and not line.startswith(" ") and not stripped.endswith(":") and i > 1:
             prev = lines[i-2].strip()
diff --git a/tests/test_linter.py b/tests/test_linter.py
index ab44ac8..7202188 100644
--- a/tests/test_linter.py
+++ b/tests/test_linter.py
@@ -221,3 +221,57 @@ class CustomError(Exception):
 
     out = translate_exception_to_maithili(CustomError("demo"))
     assert "CustomError" in out
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Regression: parens and quotes inside string literals (issue #30)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_parens_inside_double_quoted_string_not_flagged():
+    code = 'छपाउ("(क")\n'
+    errors = lint_maithili_code(code)
+    assert not any(
+        "गोल ब्रैकेट" in e
+        for e in errors
+    ), f"parens inside double-quoted string falsely flagged: {errors}"
+
+
+def test_parens_inside_single_quoted_string_not_flagged():
+    code = "छपाउ('(क')\n"
+    errors = lint_maithili_code(code)
+    assert not any(
+        "गोल ब्रैकेट" in e
+        for e in errors
+    ), f"parens inside single-quoted string falsely flagged: {errors}"
+
+
+def test_quote_inside_string_not_flagged():
+    code = 'छपाउ("it\'s ok")\n'
+    assert "it's ok" in code
+    errors = lint_maithili_code(code)
+    assert not any("उद्धरण" in e for e in errors), (
+        f"apostrophe in double-quoted string falsely flagged: {errors}"
+    )
+
+
+def test_unbalanced_single_quote_flagged():
+    code = "छपाउ('hi)\n"
+    errors = lint_maithili_code(code)
+    assert any("उद्धरण" in e for e in errors), (
+        f"unbalanced single quote not flagged: {errors}"
+    )
+
+
+def test_genuinely_unbalanced_parens_still_flagged():
+    errors = lint_maithili_code("छपाउ(x\n")
+    assert any(
+        "गोल ब्रैकेट" in e
+        for e in errors
+    ), f"genuinely unbalanced parens not flagged: {errors}"
+
+
+def test_genuinely_unbalanced_quotes_still_flagged():
+    errors = lint_maithili_code('छपाउ("hi)\n')
+    assert any("उद्धरण" in e for e in errors), (
+        f"genuinely unbalanced quotes not flagged: {errors}"
+    )
diff --git a/tests/test_security.py b/tests/test_security.py
index 1b6787e..8620de5 100644
--- a/tests/test_security.py
+++ b/tests/test_security.py
@@ -251,3 +251,43 @@ def test_dangerous_module_not_in_whitelist(dangerous):
     assert dangerous not in _ALLOWED_MODULES, (
         f"{dangerous} must never be in the import whitelist"
     )
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Security regression: linter tokenizer does not widen the trust boundary
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+@pytest.mark.security
+def test_linter_tokenizer_does_not_expand_trust_boundary():
+    """Code-like content inside string literals remains data.
+
+    The linter now uses _tokenize_preserving_strings for
+    paren/quote balance. This test verifies that using the
+    tokenizer in the lint path does not accidentally weaken
+    any runtime security boundaries — the transpiler, import
+    validator, and sandbox execution path are unchanged.
+    """
+    from maithili_dsl.transpiler.linter import lint_maithili_code
+
+    code_inside_string = '\u091b\u092a\u093e\u0909("import os; exec()")\n'
+    errors = lint_maithili_code(code_inside_string)
+    assert not any(
+        "\u0917\u094b\u0932 \u092c\u094d\u0930\u0948\u0915\u0947\u091f" in e
+        for e in errors
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.security
+def test_actual_dangerous_code_outside_strings_still_blocked():
+    """Raw Python import outside strings is still caught by the import validator.
+
+    The linter change uses the tokenizer for paren/quote balance checks.
+    This test verifies that the security model is unchanged: dangerous
+    code outside string literals remains blocked by _validate_imports.
+    """
+    from maithili_dsl.transpiler.transpile import transpile_maithili_code
+
+    code = '\u091b\u092a\u093e\u0909("safe")\nimport os\n'
+    transpiled = transpile_maithili_code(code)
+    errors = _validate_imports(transpiled, translated_modules=set())
+    assert errors, f"raw 'import os' must be blocked by import validator: {errors}"